The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale and the auction of Art of the Surreal which took place on February 2nd 2010 at Christie's in London realized £76,834,650 / $122,167,093 / €87,668,336 selling 81% by lot and 93% by value. The sales had a pre-sale estimate of £54,505,000 to £77,805,000.
Giovanna Bertazzoni, Director and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Christie's London said: "Tonight's sale sent a strong signal to consignors that demand is high and that knowledgeable buyers from around the world are committed to acquiring works of art.The increased confidence of vendors meant that this evening we could feed the appetite of these buyers by offering a greater supply than in recent months. Competitive bidding saw eight of the top ten lots sell above their pre-sale estimates and 21 lots realise over £1 million, compared to 26 at both last year's major London sales combined. We thus look forward with great encouragement to the next major auctions of Impressionist and Modern art in May in New York."
The top price was paid for Tête de femme (Jacqueline), 1963, by Pablo Picasso which sold for £8,105,250 / $12,887,348 / €9,248,090 against a pre-sale estimate of £3 million to £4 million. A portrait of the artist's second wife who became the most important of all his Muses and models, it sold to an anonymous telephone bidder.
At this evening's auction, 4 works of art sold for over £5 million / 21 for over £1 million. Buyers (by lot / by origin) were 25% UK, 48% Europe, 25% Americas and 2% Asia.
Further leading highlights of the sale:
Gitane, circa 1910-1911,by Kees van Dongen (1877-1968) - a striking portrait by the Dutch artist which was executed at one of the most important periods of his career – sold for £7,097,250 / $11,284,628 / €8,097,962 against a pre-sale estimate of £5.5 million to £7.5 million. This represents the second highest price for a work by the artist sold at auction.
Espagnole, circa 1916,by Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) realized £6,425,250 / $10,216,148 / €7,331,210, exceeding its estimate of £4 million to £6 million and establishing a record price for a painting by a female artist sold at auction. A spectacular picture executed during the First World War, andan outstanding example from a series which saw Goncharova merge painting and theatre design, it was offered at the auction for the first time having been in the ownership of a private Swiss collector since the early 1980s.
Homme assis sur une chaise, 1956,by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), an imposing portrait painted soon after the artist had moved to La Californie, a spacious villa overlooking Cannes, sold for £6,089,250 / $9,681,908 / €6,947,834 against an estimate of £3.5 million to £5.5 million.
Nu aux jambes croisées, 1936,by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was offered at auction for the first time having been in the same Swiss Collection since 1963 and realized £3,793,250 / $6,031,268 / €4,328,098 (estimate: £2.5 million to £4 million).
Mademoiselle Grimprel au ruban rouge, 1880, an important work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) which dates to the highpoint of the artist's portrait painting, sold for £3,065,250 / $4,873,748 / €3,497,450 (estimate: £1.8 million to £3.5 million).
The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale and the auction of Art of the Surreal which took place on February 2nd 2010 at Christie's in London realized £76,834,650 / $122,167,093 / €87,668,336 selling 81% by lot and 93% by value. The sales had a pre-sale estimate of £54,505,000 to £77,805,000.
Giovanna Bertazzoni, Director and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Christie's London said: "Tonight's sale sent a strong signal to consignors that demand is high and that knowledgeable buyers from around the world are committed to acquiring works of art.The increased confidence of vendors meant that this evening we could feed the appetite of these buyers by offering a greater supply than in recent months. Competitive bidding saw eight of the top ten lots sell above their pre-sale estimates and 21 lots realise over £1 million, compared to 26 at both last year's major London sales combined. We thus look forward with great encouragement to the next major auctions of Impressionist and Modern art in May in New York."
The top price was paid for Tête de femme (Jacqueline), 1963, by Pablo Picasso which sold for £8,105,250 / $12,887,348 / €9,248,090 against a pre-sale estimate of £3 million to £4 million. A portrait of the artist's second wife who became the most important of all his Muses and models, it sold to an anonymous telephone bidder.
At this evening's auction, 4 works of art sold for over £5 million / 21 for over £1 million. Buyers (by lot / by origin) were 25% UK, 48% Europe, 25% Americas and 2% Asia.
Further leading highlights of the sale:
Gitane, circa 1910-1911,by Kees van Dongen (1877-1968) - a striking portrait by the Dutch artist which was executed at one of the most important periods of his career – sold for £7,097,250 / $11,284,628 / €8,097,962 against a pre-sale estimate of £5.5 million to £7.5 million. This represents the second highest price for a work by the artist sold at auction.
Espagnole, circa 1916,by Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) realized £6,425,250 / $10,216,148 / €7,331,210, exceeding its estimate of £4 million to £6 million and establishing a record price for a painting by a female artist sold at auction. A spectacular picture executed during the First World War, andan outstanding example from a series which saw Goncharova merge painting and theatre design, it was offered at the auction for the first time having been in the ownership of a private Swiss collector since the early 1980s.
Homme assis sur une chaise, 1956,by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), an imposing portrait painted soon after the artist had moved to La Californie, a spacious villa overlooking Cannes, sold for £6,089,250 / $9,681,908 / €6,947,834 against an estimate of £3.5 million to £5.5 million.
Nu aux jambes croisées, 1936,by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was offered at auction for the first time having been in the same Swiss Collection since 1963 and realized £3,793,250 / $6,031,268 / €4,328,098 (estimate: £2.5 million to £4 million).
Mademoiselle Grimprel au ruban rouge, 1880, an important work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) which dates to the highpoint of the artist's portrait painting, sold for £3,065,250 / $4,873,748 / €3,497,450 (estimate: £1.8 million to £3.5 million).
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