Christie's Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art Totals $325 Million Christie’s Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art totaled $325,006,000 this evening, the second highest ever for a sale in the field.
Untitled XXIII is a prime example of de Kooning’s oeuvre after his ‘renaissance’ of the mid-1970s when a sudden bout of energy and renewed force drove and inspired him to take up painting again. Once again, the artist found himself reveling in the act of painting as a joyous and deeply sensual experience and these works form the culmination of much that he had attempted in the past but never resolved. The painting realized $19,921,000.
Dazzling, magnificent, and staggeringly beautiful, Jeff Koons’s Diamond (Blue), 1994-2005 from the famed Celebration series which the artist commenced in 1994 became Koons’s most expensive work sold at auction at $11,801,000, doubling the previous record for Koons at auction.
Chinese contemporary art continued to rise. The center piece, Zhang Xiaogang’s Bloodline Series: Mother with Three Sons (The Family Portrait), painted in 1993 realized $3,961,000, a new record for Xiaogang at auction while Cai Guo-Qiang’s Tiger and Eagle went for $601,000 and Zeng Fanzhi’s Mask Series 1995 No. 26, 1995 totaled $1,385,000.
Other highlights included two major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Black Figure) ($9,897,000)and Sugar Ray Robinson ($7,321,000) as well as Burning Gas Station by Ed Ruscha, 1965-66, which set a new record for Ruscha at auction at $6,985,000 and Richard Prince’s Piney Woods Nurse, 2002 which set a world auction record for the artist at $6,089,000.
The sales will continue tomorrow with Morning and Afternoon Sessions of Post-War and Contemporary Art.
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 to its sales through Christie's LIVE™, its unique, real-time online bidding service.
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More information about this Christie's sale can be found on www.christies.com. All lots from the sale can be viewed online along with full catalogue descriptions on Lotfinder®, which also allows clients to
