If you’ve ever been to the Detroit Rattlesnake Club, you may have noticed some of his artwork.
After 36 years of fine dining, the Rattlesnake Club closed in June and now offers the opportunity to purchase some of the restaurant’s remarkable artwork and other items.
DuMouchelle Art Galleries announced Monday that the Rattlesnake Club’s collection of artwork is part of an upcoming auction in September at DuMouchelle’s on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit. The more than 50 auction items include many by prominent American artists.
In announcing the auction, DuMouchelles described the restaurant’s curated collection as “something you rarely see in a restaurant” and an “impressive selection of contemporary art.”
The auction will take place from September 12th to 14th and will include works by Robert Graham, Robert Schefman, Frank Stella and several others. Lithographs, etchings and carved wooden folk masks as well as some furniture are also part of the auction.
Bob DuMouchelle, auctioneer at the family-owned DuMouchelles Restaurant, said they have worked with other Detroit restaurants in the past, such as Top of the Ponch and Ponchartrain Wine Cellar, on both auctions and collection handling.
Many original works
DuMouchelle described the Rattlesnake auction as “part of a legacy” with many modern originals in the collection.
“They had works by Louise Nevelson, a major artist at MOMA and many museums around the country,” DuMouchelle said. “Frank Stella, another artist who is back at MOMA in New York, and at the DIA in Detroit, and Jasper Johns, another artist, has some major works in that collection.”
DuMouchelle said you don’t usually see originals in restaurants.
“Many people who are very familiar with the rattlesnake didn’t know that these were original works,” he said.
Also custom-made maple chairs
In addition to works of art, maple chairs are also part of the auction.
“They were made for the Rattlesnake and are part of a numbered edition,” said DuMouchelle. “It’s quite unusual for restaurants to have numbered chairs at a table.”
The Rattlesnake Club was last open on June 28. Current owners said revenue has declined since the pandemic due to “changes in dining habits, office occupancy and traffic.”
In 1988, renowned, award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt opened the Rattlesnake Club on Stroh River Place.
Shortly after its opening in 1993, Schmidt won a coveted James Beard Award. It was the city’s first award.
Long known for its fine dining, fine wines and outstanding service, the Rattlesnake Club is also popular on its outdoor patio overlooking the Detroit River.
The Rattlesnake Club was a regular on the Detroit Free Press’ list of the best restaurants in Detroit from 2001 to 2005. The list includes establishments with qualities that make for a memorable special occasion dinner and outstanding food.
In 2010, Schmidt sold his interest in the Rattlesnake Club to the Stroh Companies, the Free Press reported.
A preview of the auction items will be available online September 5-7 and 10-11. You can view the collection at dumoart.com or contact DuMouchelles at 313-963-6255.
“We’ve been fortunate to support and encourage Detroit and so many others to do this. This is another way to mark the end of an era and you can own a piece of that memory of Detroit,” DuMouchelle said.
Contact Susan Selasky, food and restaurant writer for the Detroit Free Press, and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
