David Littman (Hudson Valley Lighting)
In 2012, Thompson Dean, a co-managing partner of the private equity firm Avista Capital Partners, was offered a price on a Roy Lichtenstein painting that a Gagosian Gallery staffer characterized as so low as to be "cruel and offensive" to the seller. Mr. Dean took the deal, paying $2 million for Girl in Mirror, another version of which had recently sold for more than twice that amount. Now, it seems, the financier has applied his savings to real estate, paying $16.5 million for a condo at 525 Park Avenue that the sellers, David and Connie Littman, bought last year for just $13.85 million.
Given that Mr. and Ms. Littman are the proprietors of Hudson Valley Lighting, a company whose umbrella encompasses a variety of specialized, high-end brands, we have to guess that Mr. Dean's art collection will be splendidly lit in his new home. The condo is a four-bedroom, 3,794-square-foot floor-through combination with "a magnificent living room, reception room, huge formal dining room" and paneled library, according to the listing, which was held by Brian J. Manning at Brown Harris Stevens. Abundant natural light from views in all directions is augmented by newly-installed Lutron lighting, and the unit includes a parking space, which likely came in handy for the Littmans, who list a home address in Newburgh, New York.
How about that paneling, folks?
But if his in-house collection proves insufficient to satisfy Mr. Dean's cultural palate, Museum Mile is just a short walk away—to say nothing of Mr. Gagosian's outlet at 77th and Madison—and Chelsea's galleries become all the more accessible with a car stored close to home.
No word on where Mr. and Ms. Littman are headed next, but with the generous proceeds of their sale—and recent spreads in Elle Decor and House Beautiful to their name—they shouldn't have much trouble finding thoroughly comfortable digs, in Manhattan, or well beyond.
Candles by day