The Year of the Rabbit: From Dali to Marilyn Monroe, Playboy Auctions Art at Christie’s

NEW YORK (AP).- Pamela Anderson and Marilyn Monroe may be names that come to mind when one thinks of the art of Playboy, but how about Salvador Dali? A Dali watercolor of a reclining nude that hung in Hugh Hefner’s bedroom is among 125 artworks being auctioned by the magazine known for baring all for nearly 60 years. The Dec. 8 auction at Christie’s is dubbed “The Year of the Rabbit.” Founder and editor-in-chief Hefner said the magazine that has entertained, [...]

Sales of Russian Art at Sotheby’s Total $14.4 Million, Important Russian Enamels and Fabergé Sold

NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s autumn 2010 auctions of Russian Art in New York brought a total of $14,397,064. The day began with an inaugural sale of Important Russian Paintings that achieved $10.6 million and set several new auction records. The highlight of the sale was a monumental canvas by the Socialist Realist painter Yuri Pimenov that sold for $1,538,500, more than double the high estimate and a record for the artist at auction. The paintings auction was followed by a [...]

Reginald Marsh Drawings, Andy Warhol Prints Among Highlights of Swann Galleries’ November 18 Auction

NEW YORK, NY.- On Thursday, November 18, Swann Galleries will conduct a two-part sale of American Art & Contemporary Art offering over 100 unique works by significant American artists followed by more than 200 prints, drawings, paintings and multiples by Contemporary European and American artists. The American Art section features works of art that were formerly in the collection of Lloyd Goodrich, an art historian who served as curator and director of the Whitney Museum of American Art. These include [...]

The Robert Devereux Collection of Post-War British Art Totals $7.6 Million at Sotheby’s

LONDON.- The two-day sale of The Robert Devereux Collection of Post-War British Art at Sotheby’s in London concluded this afternoon having realised a remarkable total of £4,730,101 / US$7,603,489 – a figure well above the pre-sale expectations of £2,409,250-3,550,750. The three selling sessions of 329 lots in total established an overall sell-through rate of 95% by lot as well as a clutch of new artist records. Proceeds from the sale will go towards The African Arts Trust, a charitable organisation that [...]

Bonhams to Sell Portrait of Napoleon by His Valet and Friend

LONDON.- Bonhams are to sell a near-contemporary portrait of Napoleon painted by his valet and close companion Louis-Joseph-Narcisse Marchand in the British & Continental Pictures auction in Knightsbridge on 30 November 2010. Napoleon by Louis Joseph Marchand. Photo Bonhams Marchand (1791-1876) was Napoleon Bonaparte’s valet and friend. He became an Imperial servant in 1811 and remained faithful to Napoleon after his abdication and was rewarded with promotion to main valet. While Napoleon was on his deathbed he bestowed the title [...]

19th Century Masterpiece by by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema Brings a Record $35.9 Million at Sotheby’s

NEW YORK, NY.- Today at Sotheby’s in New York, The Finding of Moses, a 19th century masterpiece by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, sold for a remarkable $35,922,500, more than seven times the presale high estimate of $5 million. The monumental canvas was sought-after by three determined bidders who battled for nearly eight minutes. Soon after auctioneer and Vice Chairman Benjamin Doller opened the bidding on the spectacular painting, it quickly rose to more than $20 million in a battle between two clients participating by [...]

Egon Schiele Painting ‘Procession’ for Sale at Im Kinsky Kunst Auktionen in Vienna

VIENNA (AP).- Austrian auctioneers presented a precious Egon Schiele painting Wednesday that could fetch millions when it goes under the hammer next week.  “Procession” is a dark work that dates to 1911 and depicts three women in different stages of their lives. It is currently owned by an unidentified American art collector and valued from euro3.5 million ($4.9 million) to euro7 million ($9.9 million).  Potential buyers from Japan, Ukraine, southern Europe and the United States have expressed interest in casting bids [...]

Henri Matisse Nude Bronze Sells for $48.8 Million at Christie’s New York Auction

NEW YORK (AP).- A 6-foot Henri Matisse bronze of a nude woman seen from behind has been sold for over $48 million in New York City, a record auction price for the artist’s work. Christie’s says “Back IV” was purchased Wednesday by Gagosian Gallery Inc. The price included the buyer’s premium. It had been estimated to bring $25 million to $35 million. Henri Matisse bronze from the artist’s Back series of life-size relief sculptures Matisse created a series of four [...]

Christie’s Presents Rare and Exceptional Works from Its Classical and Modern Chinese Paintings Sale

HONG KONG.- Christie’s Hong Kong will hold its Fall sales of Fine Chinese Modern Paintings and Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy on 30 November at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. These sales will showcase over 350 rare and exceptional works from the Chinese masters, valued in excess of HK$260 million (US$34 million).  Chinese calligraphy and paintings are among the most culturally rich and meaningful art forms and encapsulate the history of Chinese culture. The Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and [...]

A New Auction Record for Amedeo Modigliani at Sotheby’s Evening Sale in New York

NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Impressionist and Modern Art is currently underway in New York and a number of exceptional prices have already been achieved:  · A new auction record for Amedeo Modigliani was set tonight when the artist’s iconic Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine) sold for a remarkable $68,962,500. Five different bidders competed for the stunning nude, driving the price well past the more than $40 million* that had been expected. La Belle <Romaine is from [...]

The Art Auction at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Raises $2.8 Million

CHICAGO, IL.- The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, celebrated its highest grossing benefit event in the history of the museum at The Art Auction on Saturday, October 30, 2010, that raised $2,800,000 for MCA programming. The highest winning bid of the night was $640,000 for a new painting by Luc Tuymans, who currently has a feature exhibition on view at the MCA. The event took place at the MCA with the artwork hanging in the museum’s galleries. The 550 guests [...]

New Collectors from Russia, India, China and Hong Kong Invigorating Art Auctions

NEW YORK, NY.- Less than two years after a precipitous fall, the art market is flexing its muscles again, emboldened by recent auction records and an influx of determined international collectors rich with cash.  With two works breaking the $100 million mark this year, auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s have convinced such owners of rare and never-auctioned fine art as Steve Wynn that it is a good time to sell — and reap tremendous profits.  Hordes of wealthy new buyers, ready [...]

School of Paris Leads Bi-Coastal Sale of Modern and Contemporary Arts at Bonhams

NEW YORK, NY.- Bonhams announced the November 9, 2010 bi-coastal auction of Modern and Contemporary Art. Held in New York and simulcast to Los Angeles, the sale features significant examples paintings, drawings, and sculpture from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries by artists such as Bernard Buffet, Adolph Gottlieb, Philip Guston, Fernand Léger, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Tom Wesselmann, Aaron Young, and Rachel Howard. Also featured is a Property from the Estates of Molly and Leon Lyon, Daniel Melnick, Myriam Schasseur and [...]

Fortnight of Sales at Christie’s Expected to Yield a Combined Total in Excess of $500 Million

NEW YORK, NY.- This November, Christie’s presents a spectacular line-up of fine art auctions, featuring the best examples of Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary Art available on the auction market. Over the course of a fortnight, Christie’s will offer over 850 works of art, beginning with its major Evening Sale of 85 works of Impressionist and Modern Art on November 3 and continuing with its Works on Paper and Day sales on November 4. The following Wednesday, November 10, Christie’s will [...]

From Panini to Zandomeneghi in the Milan Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Sales

MILAN.- 82 lots devoted to Old Master works on sale at Sotheby’s Milan on 16th November 2010.  The selection shows among first lots a big oil on canvas of the Florentine painter Matteo Rosselli which figures the Sacrificio di Isacco.  Rosselli during his youth was the right hand of the Tuscan Gregorio Pagani, of the Mannerism School; the painting is estimated 80/120.000 euro.  Cristo davanti a Pilato is the subject of the work by Leonello Spada, the artist from Bologna had spent sometime [...]