Auction introduction: On 5 February, Christie’s is proud to present A Life of Discerning Passions: The Collection of H. Rodes Sr. and Patricia Hart: Live. Just beyond Nashville’s lively Broadway, the private world of H. Rodes Sr. and Patricia Hart reveals some of the art world’s best-kept secrets. Over the past 30 years, a collection that would be at home in any of the most famous museums in the world has been quietly assembled and privately enjoyed. From bronzes by Giambologna and his celebrated assistant Antonio Susini to drawings by Claude Lorrain and fine Meissen porcelain, this masterfully curated collection embodies connoisseurship at its highest and reflects a life of discerning passions, devoted to joy, vision and the pursuit of beauty. Throughout these works are interlaced themes of everyday life and portrayals of the landscapes in which the artists’ lives took place. The collection will be on view at Rockefeller Center during New York Classic Week. The live auction is accompanied by an online-only sale comprised of lots from the same private collection, closing 6 February.