Art Mavens Converge on Beverly Hills

Diane D. Brooks, Sotheby’s president, doesn’t mince words.

“This is a very small part of a large collection--the most important collection that has ever come to auction in the world,” she said, referring to a recently displayed sampling of works of art--Old Masters, Impressionist, modern and 19th-Century European and American paintings, silver, Chinese porcelain and European ceramics--assembled by the late John T. Dorrance Jr., former chairman of Campbell Soup Co.

The collection, including more than 200 paintings, is expected to fetch more than $100 million in what should be a dizzying New York sale and social occasion par excellence in October.

But even the few works flashed recently in Beverly Hills--14 Impressionist paintings flown by Sotheby’s for a Rodeo Drive showing and dinner hosted by Andrea Van de Kamp, the dealer’s new West Coast vice president-managing director--dazzled a spiffy coterie of assembled collectors.

Who was that examining “Femme a l’Ombrelle Rouge, Assise de Profil,” the Matisse expected to bring in $4 million to $6 million? Why, of course, it was Harold Williams, the Getty Museum chairman who is experienced at buying Renoirs for $17 million, and former Secretary of the Treasury William Simon.

Prominent Impressionist collectors taking in the scene were Frances Brody and William and Ginger Crowell of San Francisco. The contingent of contemporary collectors was awesome and included Marcia Weisman; Fred and Joan Nicholas; Bea and Philip Gersh; and Diane and Harold Keith. They all touched base with Museum of Contemporary Art director Richard Koshalek and his wife, Betty. The 20th-Century collectors seen included Marion and Nathan Smooke and Jean Howard, whose book on Hollywood is due in mid-October from Abrams.

In recognition of Los Angeles’ ascendence as a major art world center, Michael L. Ainslie, the handsome president of Sotheby’s Holdings Inc., buzzed into town at the last minute when John Marion, Sotheby’s American chairman, unexpectedly had to return to New York from Santa Fe to look at a painting. Marvin and Barbara Davis also canceled at the last minute; that’s the way it is with these jet-setting pacesetters.

The works garnering the most attention at the Beverly Hills gathering were Van Gogh’s “L’Homme est en Mer, “ expected to bring $10 million to $15 million and the early Picasso “Au Moulin Rouge,” expected to bring $6 million to $8 million.

Crowding about those works were: Eleanor Colt and Michael Morrison; Bronya and Andrew Galef; Roger and Joanne Kozberg; David McCallum; Peter and Casey McCoy; and Helen and Mace Neufeld. They all garnered art tidbits from Barbara Pallenberg, Sotheby’s regional director of fine arts.

For dinner, the lights were dimmed. But afterward, John Van de Kamp, the state Democratic gubernatorial candidate who sat next to Brooks at dinner, nudged his wife, Andrea, and urged: “Turn up the lights, so that everyone can see the paintings again!”

DEBUT: Jeffrey Rusinow, newly named senior vice president and director of Bullock’s 22 stores in the Southwest, has been rehearsing 10 months since winning the chance to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic as top auction bidder with co-bidder Jack McCarley at the Philharmonic Ball. He was on the podium at the Hollywood Bowl, striking the first beat of the Star Spangled Banner. There were cheers aplenty from: Persis McCarley; Fran Muir, who chaired the ball that raised $120,000 for the orchestra; next year’s ball chairwoman Joan Riach; new Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic president Judy Bartholomew and her husband, Leon (they drove in from their new home in Montecito); Mary and James Hesburgh; Ginger and David Ludwick; Shauna Trabert and Carl Honeystein, and Susan and Rufus Rhodes.

SUMMER CHEERS: Maurice and Carol Inman joined the support team for West Coast University by hosting 47 Taiwanese senior executives at a reception in their Bel-Air home . . . Mary Crary served tea at her home to introduce new members of the Autumn Cotillion to the advisory board and ball committee. New members are Laurie Griff, Betsy Link, Amanda McIntyre and Carole Terry . . . And Donna Wolff chaired a rewarding volunteer job: for the fifth year, she organized hair stylists from Vidal Sassoon in Beverly Hills to spend a morning at Vista del Mar, styling the hair of 90 abused children.

KUDOS: To Phoebe Vaccaro, Nancy Call, Bette McLaughlin and Donna Gibbs, searching for a 19th - Century Abbott Downing mail coach for Banning Residence from the $260,232 in proceeds of their Floriade benefit . . . To Edwin Lester, honored by the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild with the Spotlight Award . . . To Music Center president and dynamo Esther Wachtell, speaking to Town Hall Sept. 13 . . . To Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center, recipients of a $1.8 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation . . . To Donald A. Reed, new headmaster at Webb School . . . To Polly Bergen, Carole Hemingway, Marian Rees, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Margie Fites Seigle and Kathy Spillar, Women of Achievement honorees by Women For, at their luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel . . . To Rosemary Herd, new Footlighters president . . . To Southwest Museum new trustees: Dawn Douglas, Cheryl Duran, Dr. Richard C. Gilman and Michael Heumann . . . To Mrs. Gerald Wagner, completing a second term as president of the League for Crippled Children and presenting a check for $83,000 to Orthopaedic Hospital.