The Private World

Yves Saint Laurent was more than a designer of clothing. He was, for many, simply one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. The homes that he shared with his lifelong friend and business partner Pierre Bergé were extraordinary private cocoons of taste and style, and the pair amassed an exceptional collection of art over some forty years. It included important works by Picasso, Matisse and Mondrian, Old Master paintings by Goya, Ingres and Géricault, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture and silver from the Renaissance to Art Deco. Here, Ivan Terestchenko''s photographs -taken after Yves Saint Laurent''s death in 2008- capture these exquisite pieces in situ for the last time, prior to their sale by auction at the Grand Palais in Paris, an historic event that became the stuff of legend months before it even took place. This book, revealing a rare union of passion, taste and supreme connoirship, stands as a monument to two of the greatest taste-makers of our time.