Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale - London, 30 June 2008 Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale took place this evening (30 June 2008) and realised £86,241,600 / $171,879,508 / €108,578,174 - the highest total for the category at Christie’s.
News-Antique.com - Jul 08,2008 - CHRISTIE’S AUCTION OF POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART REALISES £85.7 MILLION / $171.9 MILLION / €108.6 MILLION
- The highest ever total for a Post-War and Contemporary auction held by Christie’s in Europe
- Francis Bacon self-portrait triptych sells for £17.3 million / $34.5 million / €21.8 million
- Jeff Koons’ Balloon Flower, Magenta realises £12.9 million / $25.8 million - a record price for the artist at auction, and Freud’s Naked Portrait with Reflection sells for £11.8 million / $23.5 million – the second highest price for the artist at auction
- 9 world auction records established in total for artists including Jeff Koons, Antonio Lopez, Gilbert and George and Syed Haider Raza
London – Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale took place this evening (30 June 2008) and realised £86,241,600 / $171,879,508 / €108,578,174 - the highest total for the category at Christie’s in Europe. The top lot of the auction was Three Studies for a Self Portrait by Francis Bacon (1909-1992), a rare self-portrait triptych that the artist painted while in Paris in 1975, which sold for £17,289,250 / $34,457,475 / €21,767,166.
18 works of art sold for over £1 million (30 for over $1 million), and buyer activity at the auction (by lot) was 42% Europe including United Kingdom, 48% Americas, 8% Asia and 2% other. The auction saw a total of 9 artist records established, including for Jeff Koons, Antonio Lopez, Gilbert and George and Syed Haider Raza, among others.
Pilar Ordovas, Director and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s London: “We are very pleased with the results of this evening’s auction which established a record total for the category for Christie’s in Europe and illustrates the continued confidence in the global art market. We were particularly pleased to sell three works for over £10 million as exceptional pieces by Freud, Bacon and Koons attracted the interest of collectors from all over the world. The auction has welcomed thousands of visitors while on public view in London for the last two weeks, and Jeff Koons’ Balloon flower (Magenta) attracted continuous crowds to its special exhibition at St. James’s Square before selling for £12.9 million this evening and setting a world record price for the artist at auction.”
The top 5 prices of the evening:
- Three Studies for a Self Portrait by Francis Bacon (1909-1992), a rare self-portrait triptych that the artist painted while in Paris in 1975 and that had never before been seen in public. It sold for £17,289,250 / $34,457,475 / €21,767,166.
- Balloon Flower (Magenta), 1995-2000 by Jeff Koons (b.1955) sold this evening for £12,921,250 / $25,752,051 / €16,267,854, a world record price for the artist at auction.
- Naked Portrait with Reflection by Lucian Freud (b.1922), one of the most important works by the artist to be offered at auction, sold for £11,801,250 / $23,519,891 / €14,857,774, the second highest price for the artist at auction.
- Nine Multicoloured Marilyns (Reversal Series), 1979-86, by Andy Warhol (1928-1987), sold for
