Pioggia di dollari (479,320,250 per l’esattezza) e di record su Rockfeller Plaza a New York. Serata storica da Christie’s alla prima conduzione di Adrien Meyer, nominato presidente del dipartimento Impressionist & Modern Art insieme a Giovanna Bertazzoni lo scorso luglio. Si tratta del risultato più alto degli ultimi dieci anni realizzato nelle aste di arte impressionista e moderna del mese di novembre. Dobbiamo infatti andare indietro fino al 2006 per trovare un risultato maggiore (491.472.000 $).
Alcune opere hanno raggiunto cifre esorbitanti, ma l’intero catalogo della Evening Sale di questa sera era uno scrigno pieno di capolavori. Come il meraviglioso van Gogh del 1889 venduto a 81,312,500 $. Per un soffio non è stato infranto il record che risale ormai a quasi trent’anni fa, quando, sempre da Christie’s a New York, “Portrait du Docteur Gachet” era stato battuto a 82.500.000 dollari. L’opera di stasera non era un ritratto ma un paesaggio. “Laboureur dans un champ” raffigura i campi che van Gogh vedeva dalla sua finestra nell’istituto psichiatrico Saint Paul de Mausole, dove aveva vissuto tra il maggio del 1889 e il maggio del 1890. Questa tela era stata iniziata e completata in pochissimo tempo dopo un periodo di lontananza dai pennelli. Era offerta con stima a richiesta ma si aggirava sui 50 milioni di dollari.
Il secondo prezzo esorbitante della serata è stato realizzato da un Léger del 1913 aggiudicato a 70,062,500 dollari. Passato in asta per la prima volta, “Contraste de formes” era stato acquistato direttamente dall’artista lo stesso anno della realizzazione dal suo mercante Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. Nel 1956 era entrato nella collezione di Ludmilla e Hans Arnhold, banchiere e collezionista. Da lui è passato alla figlia e al genero, Anna-Maria e Stephen Kellen. “Contraste de formes” è rimasto per 40 anni appeso nell’appartamento dei Kellen di New York. E’ stato consegnato alla maison di Pinault dalla Fondazione Kellen e il ricavato andrà a incrementare i fondi per le missioni filantropiche della fondazione.
Come il van Gogh era presentato con stima “a richiesta”. Battuto a un hammer price di 62 milioni di dollari, ha superato di gran lunga il record di “La femme en bleu (study)” del 1912–13 aggiudicato da Sotheby’s nel maggio del 2008 per $39.2 milioni.
Dopo diversi minuti di gara, “Femme accroupie (Jacqueline)” del 1954 di Pablo Picasso è stata aggiudicata a 36,875,000 $. La musa ritratta seduta sul pavimento, immortalata mentre si abbraccia le ginocchia e con una potente luce che si sprigiona da una finestra dietro di lei, è Jacqueline, l’ultima compagna e seconda moglie del maestro spagnolo.
Oltre al Léger, tra gli altri record infranti stasera si segnala quello di 20,562,500 $ del primo dipinto della serie de ‘L’Impero delle luci’ di René Magritte, realizzato nel 1949. Esistono numerose versioni de ‘L’Impero delle luci’, Magritte ci ha lavorato per circa 15 anni. Una di queste fa parte della collezione di Peggy Guggenheim a Venezia. Con questa aggiudicazione il maestro surrealista ha superato il suo top price per la seconda volta quest’anno. Nel febbraio scorso infatti si era posizionato al primo posto nella sua personale classifica “La corde sensible” (17.926.044 $/14.441.348 £), superando un’altra versione de L’Impero delle luci (del 1959) che ora è scalata dunque al terzo posto con 12.659.500 dollari.
Dei 68 lotti in catalogo 8 sono rimasti invenduti e, insieme a Léger e Magritte, nuovi record sono stati realizzati da Emil Nolde con “Indische Tänzerin” ($5,262,500), Vuillard con “Misia et Vallotton à Villeneuve” ($17,750,000 contro una stima di $7 milioni); Suzanne Duchamp con “Radiation de deux seuls éloignés” ($1.8 milioni) e Jean Crotti ($1,032,500).
IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART – EVENING SALE
NEW YORK – 13 NOVEMBRE 2017
Henri Laurens (1885-1954)
La bouteille de Beaune
oil on wood construction Height: 9 ½ in. (24.2 cm.) Width: 9 ¼ in. (23.6 cm.) Depth: 7 ½ in. (19.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,000,000 – $1,500,000
PRICE REALIZED USD 1,332,500
Francis Picabia (1879-1953)
Animation
gouache, watercolor and pencil on paper laid down on card 21 1/8 x 25 3/8 in. (53.7 x 64.4 cm.)
ESTIMATE $900,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 2,892,500
Man Ray (1890-1976)
Catherine Barometer
wood box assemblage with glass, metal brackets, felt, metal washboard, tube, wire, colored wood, gouache on black paper, paper stamp and steel wool Height: 48 1/8 in. (122.2 cm.) Width: 12 in. (30.4 cm) Depth: 2 1/8 in. (5.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,000,000 – $4,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,252,500
Gino Severini (1883-1966)
Danseuse
gouache, watercolor, brush and black ink, black Conté crayon, white chalk, corrugated cardboard, sequins and paper collage on paper 40 ½ x 28 5/8 in. (102.6 x 72.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,000,000 – $2,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,452,500
Jean Crotti (1878-1958)
Les forces mécaniques de l’amour en mouvement
oil on glass, wood, newsprint, tin, paper, wire and metal tubing assemblage 23 ¾ x 29 ¼ in. (60.2 x 74.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $700,000 – $1,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,032,500
Suzanne Duchamp (1889-1963)
Radiation de deux seuls éloignés
oil, gold paint, string, wax, plastic, glass beads and tinfoil assemblage on canvas 28 ¾ x 19 ¾ in. (73.1 x 50 cm.)
ESTIMATE $700,000 – $1,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,812,500
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)
French Military Paper
Readymade: typed note, pen and black and red inks and pencil on paper 9 7/8 x 8 in. (25 x 21.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $400,000 – $800,000
UNSOLD
Max Ernst (1891-1976)
Le chant du pinson
oil and paper collage with brush and pen and black ink on canvas 32 x 39 in. (81.4 x 99 cm.)
ESTIMATE $600,000 – $900,000
PRICE REALIZED 972,500
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Improvisation mit Pferden (Studie für Improvisation 20)
oil on canvas 28 x 39 in. (71.1 x 99.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $9,000,000 – $15,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 12,687,500
Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931)
Kleurontwerp voor schoorsteenstuk
gouache and pen and India ink on paper laid down by the artist on board Image size: 28 ½ x 10 ¾ in. (71.3 x 27.5 cm.) Board size: 29 ¼ x 12 1/8 in. (74.3 x 30.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $400,000 – $700,000
PRICE REALIZED 516,500
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946)
G 8
oil and pen and black ink on Galalith over black tape on board 15 ½ x 19 ½ in. (39.5 x 49.6 cm.)
ESTIMATE $800,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,212,500
René Magritte (1898-1967)
L’empire des lumières
oil on canvas 19 1/8 x 23 1/8 in. (48.5 x 58.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $14,000,000 – $18,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 20,562,500
Emil Nolde (1867-1956)
Indische Tänzerin
oil on canvas 34 ¼ x 39 5/8 in. (86.7 x 100.4 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,500,000 – $3,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 5,262,500
Fernand Léger (1881-1955)
Contraste de formes
oil on burlap 36 3/8 x 28 7/8 in. (92.4 x 73.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE Estimate on request
PRICE REALIZED 70,062,500
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
Le cirque à l’Arc-en-Ciel
gouache, watercolor, pastel and black Conté crayon over pencil on Japan paper 35 7/8 x 23 ¾ in. (91 x 60.5 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,572,500
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Le Baiser, 1ère réduction
bronze with dark brown patina Height: 27 7/8 in. (70.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $900,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,452,500
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Jardin de Kew, Londres, près d’un étang
oil on canvas 18 ¼ x 21 ¾ in. (46.3 x 55.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $3,000,000 – $5,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 4,692,500
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Les régates de Nice
oil on canvas 31 7/8 x 25 5/8 in. (81 x 65.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $12,000,000 – $18,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 16,625,000
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
Vase de fleurs et personnages
oil on canvas 45 7/8 x 35 in. (116.6 x 88.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $4,000,000 – $6,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 4,452,500
Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947)
La porte-fenêtre avec chien
oil on canvas 42 ¼ x 24 7/8 in. (107.3 x 63.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $4,000,000 – $6,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 4,212,500
Aristide Maillol (1861-1944)
Baigneuse debout se coiffant
bronze with dark green patina Height: 61 ¼ in. (155.6 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,200,000 – $1,800,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,812,500
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Jeune fille se peignant (La Toilette)
oil on canvas 21 ¾ x 18 ¼ in. (55.3 x 46.4 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,500,000 – $3,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 2,352,500
Odilon Redon (1840-1916)
Figure portant une tête ailée (La chute d’lcare)
pastel on paper laid down on board 19 x 17 5/8 in. (48.2 x 44.8 cm.)
ESTIMATE $800,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 972,500
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
La Pointe du Petit Ailly
oil on canvas 28 7/8 x 36 ½ in. (73.5 x 92.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $6,000,000 – $8,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 7,062,500
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Buste de femme, de profil
oil on canvas 25 5/8 x 21 3/8 in. (65.1 x 54.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $7,000,000 – $10,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 8,187,500
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Matinée sur la Seine
oil on canvas 35 1/8 x 36 3/8 in. (89.3 x 92.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $15,000,000 – $25,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 23,375,000
Robert Delaunay (1885-1941)
La Tour Eiffel
oil on canvas 31 7/8 x 25 5/8 in. (81.2 x 65.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,500,000 – $3,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,372,500
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Laboureur dans un champ
oil on canvas 19 7/8 x 25 ½ in. (50.3 x 64.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE Estimate on request
PRICE REALIZED 81,312,500
Kees van Dongen (1877-1968)
Portrait de Madame Malpel
oil on canvas 67 x 33 ½ in. (170.3 x 85.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $7,000,000 – $10,000,000
UNSOLD
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Le Jardin des Tuileries, matinée de printemps
oil on canvas 25 7/8 x 36 ½ in. (65.8 x 92.8 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,000,000
UNSOLD
Joan Miró (1893-1983)
Peinture
oil on canvas 51 1/8 x 63 ¾ in. (129.8 x 161.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $18,000,000 – $25,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 23,375,000
Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940)
Yvonne Printemps au fauteuil
peinture à la colle on canvas 51 1/8 x 38 1/8 in. (129.9 x 96.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $900,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,572,500
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
La blouse verte brodée
oil on panel 6 3/8 x 8 5/8 in. (16.1 x 22 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,132,500
Fernand Léger (1881-1955)
Les quatre acrobates
oil on canvas 47 1/8 x 59 ¼ in. (119.9 x 150.5 cm.)
ESTIMATE $4,000,000 – $6,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,852,500
Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Clown, rosaviolett
oil on canvas 23 5/8 x 15 5/8 in. (61 x 39.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,500,000
UNSOLD
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Buste de femme au chapeau (Dora Maar)
oil on canvas 28 7/8 x 23 5/8 in. (73.3 x 59.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $4,000,000 – $6,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 5,937,500
Julio González (1876-1942)
Le Rêve (Le Baiser)
bronze with dark brown patina Height: 25 5/8 in. (65.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $500,000 – $800,000
PRICE REALIZED 912,500
Henry Moore (1898-1986)
Reclining Figure
bronze with dark brown patina Length: 97 in. (246.3 cm.) Height: 47 1/8 in. (120 cm.)
ESTIMATE $7,000,000 – $10,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 11,000,000
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Femme accroupie (Jacqueline)
oil on canvas 57 ½ x 44 7/8 in. (146 x 114 cm.)
ESTIMATE $20,000,000 – $30,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 36,875,000
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Portrait de Dora Maar endormie
pencil on paper 14 7/8 x 20 1/8 in. (37.7 x 51 cm.)
ESTIMATE $800,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 2,172,500
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Le Pont-Neuf, effet de neige et brouillard
oil on canvas 25 ¾ x 31 7/8 in. (65.6 x 81.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,000,000 – $1,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,272,500
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Le Rio de la Salute
oil on canvas 32 x 25 ½ in. (81.3 x 64.9 cm.) ESTIMATE $7,000,000 – $10,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 8,187,500
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Le Repos (Marie-Thérèse)
oil on canvas 10 ¾ x 18 1/8 in. (27.3 x 46.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $10,000,000 – $15,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 11,562,500
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
La villa au palmier
oil on panel 35 x 45 5/8 in. (89.1 x 115.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,000,000 – $4,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 5,037,500
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)
Poires dans une assiette blanche
oil on canvas 7 3/8 x 15 in. (18.5 x 38.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $5,000,000 – $7,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 6,837,500
Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940)
Les Lilas (Le bouquet schématique)
oil on board laid down on cradled panel 13 ¾ x 11 in. (34.9 x 28 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,200,000 – $1,800,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,092,500
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Antique et oeillets
oil on canvas 24 x 19 ¾ in. (61 x 50.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 2,652,500
Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947)
L’orgue de Barbarie ou Le joueur d’orgue
oil on board 16 1/8 x 10 3/8 in. (40.9 x 26.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $500,000 – $700,000
PRICE REALIZED 372,500
Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940)
Misia et Vallotton à Villeneuve
oil on board laid down on cradled panel 27 5/8 x 20 1/8 in. (70.2 x 51.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $7,000,000 – $10,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 17,750,000
Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940)
Autoportrait à la canne et au canotier
oil on board laid down on canvas 14 1/8 x 11 1/8 in. (36 x 28.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,000,000 – $3,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 5,262,500
Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973)
L’acrobate à cheval
bronze with brown and green patina Height: 21 ¼ in. (53.9 cm.) Length: 17 ½ in. (44.5 cm.)
ESTIMATE $700,000 – $1,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,032,500
Henry Moore (1898-1986)
Working Model for Reclining Woman: Elbow
bronze with golden brown patina Length: 36 7/8 in. (93.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,000,000 – $3,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,312,500
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Coucher de soleil à Lavacourt
oil on canvas 21 ¼ x 31 7/8 in. (54 x 81 cm.)
ESTIMATE $5,000,000 – $7,000,000
UNSOLD
Aristide Maillol (1861-1944)
Torse de l’été
bronze with green and brown patina Height: 55 in. (139.7 cm.)
ESTIMATE $300,000 – $500,000
PRICE REALIZED 672,500
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)
Frau und Mädchen nackt im Schnee (recto); Nacktes Mädchen im Schilf…
oil on canvas 31 5/8 x 27 ½ in. (80.3 x 69.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $3,500,000 – $4,500,000
UNSOLD
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Figure (de femme inspirée par la guerre d’Espagne)
oil on canvas 15 x 18 1/8 in. (38.4 x 46 cm.)
ESTIMATE $15,000,000 – $20,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 17,187,500
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
Nature morte sur les toits
oil on canvas 18 1/8 x 21 5/8 in. (45.8 x 55 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,400,000 – $1,800,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,932,500
Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894)
Le petit bras de la Seine à Argenteuil, temps couvert
oil on canvas 32 1/8 x 25 5/8 in. (81.5 x 65.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,200,000 – $1,800,000
UNSOLD
Aristide Maillol (1861-1944)
Ile-de-France sans bras
bronze with green and brown patina Height: 65 in. (165.2 cm.)
ESTIMATE $800,000 – $1,200,000
UNSOLD
Georges Braque (1882-1963)
L’église de Carrières-Saint-Denis
oil on canvas 21 ½ x 18 ¼ in. (54.6 x 46.3 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,500,000 – $3,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,612,500
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975)
Young Girl
West African mahogany Height: 62 5/8 in. (158.6 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,200,000 – $1,800,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,572,500
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Grille
gouache, watercolor, brush and India and black inks, black Conté crayon, pencil and paper collage on paper laid down on canvas 118 1/8 x 43 ¼ in. (300 x 109.9 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,000,000 – $2,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 2,292,500
Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980)
Portrait de Kizette
oil on canvas 52 3/8 x 22 7/8 in. (133.1 x 58.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $2,500,000 – $3,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,012,500
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)
Gut Staberhof III
oil on canvas 32 1/8 x 35 5/8 in. (81.6 x 90.5 cm.)
ESTIMATE $4,000,000 – $6,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 4,812,500
Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941)
Brustbild einer Frau in rötlichem Gewand
oil on board 27 ¾ x 20 1/8 in. (70.6 x 51.1 cm.)
ESTIMATE $3,000,000 – $4,000,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,372,500
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)
Elles
An extremely fine, uniform set On wove paper made for this publication, watermarked with the names of the artist and publisher The cover on laid Japan paper without watermark (as published) The full sheet, with fresh colours, in excellent condition Sheets and images: 20 ¾ x 15 ¾ in. (52.5 x 40.3 cm.) (and similar) (12)
ESTIMATE $600,000 – $800,000
PRICE REALIZED 3,372,500
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Océanie, la mer
screenprint on linen 66 ½ x 145 ¼ in. (169 x 369 cm.)
ESTIMATE $800,000 – $1,200,000
PRICE REALIZED 972,500
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
Nu sous la table
oil on canvas 32 ¾ x 23 ¼ in. (83.2 x 58.8 cm.)
ESTIMATE $1,500,000 – $2,500,000
PRICE REALIZED 1,692,500