(4 Apr 2008) SHOTLIST

AP Television
New York NY April 4 2008
1. Wide exterior of Christie's auction house
2. Tight shot of Christie's sign
3. Wide shot of photo, "Carla Bruni, 1993" by Michel Comte
4. Various of Bruni photo
5. SOUNDBITE: (English): Philippe Garner, International Head of Photographs at Christie's New York:
"We were composing the sale over a period of months last year, trying to find the best exemplary images out of the collection to really distil the collection into something very strong. The Carla Bruni study was one that seemed a natural for us. In the catalogue you'll see we compared the pose to the famous Sera nude which is in the Museum D'Orsay. It's a contemporary twist on a very classic subject."
6. Tight shot of Bruni's face
7. SOUNDBITE: (English): Philippe Garner, International Head of Photographs at Christie's New York:
"The Carla Bruni portrait is by Michel Comte who isn't so well-known on the photography market, though well-respected within the magazine publishing community. So the relatively modest estimate perhaps is a reflection of our prudence vis-a-vis his reputation, which isn't yet so high in the marketplace. But clearly, the considerable amount of publicity the picture has generated since she became First Lady is obviously something that will impact the end result."
8. Close-up of Bridget Bardot 1959 photo by Richard Avedon
9. Wide shot followed by person walking past photo of "Tied-Up Torso, Ramatuelle" by Helmut Newton from 1980
10. Wide shot of gallery
11. Pan of gallery
12. Wide shot Ansel Adams photo of waterfall
13. Close-up of same photo


PHOTO OF CARLA BRUNI UNVEILED AT CHRISTIE'S AUCTION HOUSE

A nude photo of the new First Lady of France was unveiled today at Christie's auction house in New York.

The picture of former Italian model Carla Bruni, recently married to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is part of Christie's photography sale.

It belongs to a larger collection of photographs from Gert Elfering, which all will go under the hammer on April 10th in New York.

Philippe Garner, Christie's International Head of Photographs Dept, compared the artistic black and white image to other iconic pictures.

"The Carla Bruni study was one that seemed a natural for us. In the catalogue you'll see we compared the pose to the famous Sera nude which is in the Museum D'Orsay. It's a contemporary twist on a very classic subject," said Garner.

When the sale was planned last year, the discreet Bruni photo had been estimated to fetch a mere 3-thousand to 4-thousand US dollars, but with her marriage to Sarkozy and recent media hype, the final price is expected to reach much higher.

The low estimate is also attributed to the relatively low profile of the photographer.

"The Carla Bruni portrait is by Michel Comte who isn't so well-known on the photography market, though well-respected in the magazine publishing community. So the relatively modest estimate perhaps is a reflection of our prudence vis-a-vis his reputation, which isn't yet so high in the marketplace," said Garner.

Other famous photographs in the Elfering collection include a black and white portrait of Bridget Bardot taken by Richard Avedon in 1959 and the "Tied-Up Torso, Ramatuelle" by Helmut Newton from 1980.

Total sales from this collection are initially estimated to be between 2 to 3 million US dollars.

In following days, dozens of Ansel Adams photographs will also be auctioned, as well as images by famous photographers such as Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Richard Mapplethorpe and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

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