There are many ways in which this 2020 Keeneland September Sale is different from previous editions, but to me one is the absence of Cris Caldwell, for sure.
I still expect to see him quipping from the auctioneer's rostrum or happily strolling around the pavilion–memories that lead me to reflect on the mysterious, inexplicable power of presence and personality–something Cris had in spades. A smile, a joke, a friendly gesture, that is all we can ask from a person we do not know well in a public business place. Cris provided all that to a whole lot of people, with a great dose of contagious enthusiasm to go with it. Priceless.
On top of the above, Cris was very good at his job, and, not surprisingly, there was humility in his professionalism. Great artists are like that, I am told.
Andrea Branchini
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