Christie's November Auctions of Impressionist and Modern Art Total $472,972,100 Tonight’s sale of Impressionist and Modern Art staged at Christie’s New York realized $394,977,200, the second highest total ever achieved in fine art auctioneering.
South of France. Jeune Fille realized $16.8 million.
After setting a world auction record for Signac in the May sale with Arrière du tub, at $11.7 million, this evening proved to be another crucial Signac moment when Cassis. Cap Canaille sold for $14 million, breaking last year’s record. Cassis fully captures the grandeur of Cap Canaille, the highest falaise in all of France, in all its magnificence, and was a centerpiece in the Signac retrospective exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 2001.
Les Quatre Saisons, 1872/73, a cycle of four landscapes, shows Pissarro at his most magnificent, and has widely been acclaimed to be one of his finest achievements from the early 1870s, ‘the apex of his career as a landscape painter.’ The series of four paintings realized $14.6 million. Les Quatre Saisons was the first major commission Pissarro ever received and it was only in 1891, during the sale of the works of Pissarro’s patron, Achille Arosa, that the set was publicly exhibited together for the first time. The cycle was then dispersed but reunited in 1901 and has remained in its entirety ever since. Les Quatre Saisons had two more market appearances in the last 26 years – the work fetched $6.8 million at Christie’s in 1991 and $8.9 million when offered again at Christie’s in 2004, reflecting the solid and steady market performance of a quintessential classical impressionist work.
An exquisite group of works by Paul Cézanne was led by the beautifully serene portrait of the painter’s gardener Vallier which realized $17. 4 million. The Vallier portrait fits into the series portraits of peasants and laborers, which Cézanne had begun in the late 1880s but it transcends these works in its powerful emotional charge.
About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world's leading art business with global auction sales in 2006 that totalled £2.51 billion / $4.67 billion. Worldwide sales for the first half of 2007 totalled £1.63 billion / $3.25 billion, an increase of 32% by £ and 45% by $ from the same period last year and highest half year sales ever in art market history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service, and international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging markets such as China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Dubai, Mumbai and Russia. Christie's also offers its clients worldwide access
