79,282,000, 42 lotti offerti, 3 invenduti, 1 ritirato (Damien Hirst). Questi i numeri della Post War & Contemporary londinese di Christie’s, guidata da David Hockney.
L’omologa asta del 2018 aveva fruttato ben di più, GBP 137,989,750. Oggi, inoltre, quasi la metà del fatturato è arrivato da un singolo lotto, la star della serata: il doppio ritratto di Hockney del 1969 che era stimato intorno ai 30 milioni di sterline ed è stato battuto a 37,661,250£. E’ il ritratto del curatore e del suo compagno ‘Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott” proveniente dalla collezione di Barney A. Ebsworth, in parte già esitata sempre lo scorso novembre e che ha archiviato $323,508,250.
«È un dipinto spartiacque in cui David alla fine ha abbandonato l’idea di essere un “artista moderno” e ha deciso, invece, di essere il miglior artista che potesse essere» Queste le parole dello stesso Geldzahler (citato in P. Richard, “Il pittore e il suo soggetto”, The Washington Post, 30 marzo 1979, pagina 8).
Geldzahler è stato ritratto da Hockney in un momento decisivo della sua carriera di curatore, quando ha organizzato una delle sue mostre più importanti e rivoluzionarie: “New York Painting and Sculpture: 1940-1970”, nota ai più come “Henry’s Show”. Di grandi dimensioni, il dipinto sembra invitare lo spettatore a entrare nell’intimità di alcuni dei più cari amici dell’artista. Il curatore e il suo compagno sono ritratti nel loro appartamento sulla Settima Strada a NY. E’ il terzo lavoro della serie di grandi dimensioni di sette doppi ritratti che Hockney creò tra il 1968 e il 1975. Quattro si trovano in collezioni museali. Uno dei doppi ritratti di questa serie è quello da 90,312,500 $ venduto a New York lo scorso novembre, sempre da Christie’s. “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” al momento è la tela che detiene il primato di opera più cara in assoluto battuta in asta di un artista vivente. Precedentemente era “Orange balloon dog” del 1994 di Jeff Koons che era stato battuto a 58,4 milioni di dollari nel 2013.
Tornando agli altri lotti, si segnalano risultati altalenanti. Alcuni lotti sono stati venduti sotto le stime, mentre altri ben al di sopra. Il primo lotto della serata ‘Patrick and Omari’, un altro doppio ritratto, di Jordan Casteel ha archiviato il nuovo record per l’artista con l’aggiudicazione a £299,250 (era stimato 40-60 mila). Nuovo record anche per Jonathan Yeo con ‘Claire’s Room (Grayson Perry)’ battuto a £125,000. Il monumentale lavoro di Adrian Ghenie ‘ The Collector 4’, ha fatto £2,651, 250.
Jordan Casteel (b. 1989)
Patrick and Omari
oil on canvas 71 7/8 x 56 1/8in. (182.6 x 142.5cm.)
ESTIMATE £40,000 – £60,000 ($52,680 – $79,020)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 299,250
Henry Taylor (b. 1958)
Chris
acrylic on canvas 31 x 29 ½in. (78.7 x 74.9cm.)
ESTIMATE £30,000 – £50,000 ($39,510 – $65,850)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 162,500
Avery Singer (B. 1987)
Cycladic Mask
acrylic on masonite 36 x 36in. (91.4 x 91.4cm.)
ESTIMATE £80,000 – £120,000 ($105,360 – $158,040)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 150,000
Katharina Grosse (b. 1961)
Untitled
acrylic on canvas 94 ½ x 152 ¾in. (240 x 388cm.)
ESTIMATE £150,000 – £200,000 ($197,550 – $263,400)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 275,000
Adrian Ghenie (b. 1977)
The Collector 4
oil on canvas 78 7/8 x 94 ½in. (200.3 x 240cm.)
ESTIMATE £2,200,000 – £2,800,000 ($2,897,400 – $3,687,600)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 2,651,250
Antony Gormley (B. 1950)
Domain VII
4mm square section mild steel bars 75 ¼ x 24 3/8 x 12 5/8in. (191 x 62 x 32cm.)
ESTIMATE £250,000 – £350,000 ($329,250 – $460,950)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 515,250
Bridget Riley (b. 1931)
Buff
oil on canvas 46 ¼ x 108in. (117.4 x 274.4cm.)
ESTIMATE £950,000 – £1,200,000 ($1,251,150 – $1,580,400)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 1,127,250
David Hockney (b. 1937)
Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott
acrylic on canvas 84 x 120in. (214 x 305cm.)
ESTIMATE Estimate on request
PRICE REALIZED GBP 37,661,250
David Hockney (b. 1937)
Santa Monica
gouache on paper 12¼ x 16 1/8in. (31 x 40.9cm.)
ESTIMATE £180,000 – £250,000 ($237,060 – $329,250)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 515,250
Hurvin Anderson (B. 1965)
Foska, Foska
oil on canvas 47 ¼ x 78 ¾in. (120 x 200cm.)
ESTIMATE £450,000 – £550,000 ($592,650 – $724,350)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 539,250
Cecily Brown (b. 1969)
Night Passage
oil on canvas 100 x 109¾in. (254 x 279cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,900,000 – £2,500,000 ($2,502,300 – $3,292,500)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 3,131,250
Peter Doig (b. 1959)
Haus der Bilder (House of Pictures)
oil on canvas 65 1/8 x 47 3/8in. (165.3 x 120.3cm.)
ESTIMATE £3,000,000 – £5,000,000 ($3,951,000 – $6,585,000)
UNSOLD
Barry Flanagan (1941-2009)
Nijinski Hare
bronze with a dark grey patina overall: 94 7/8 x 45 ½ x 32 5/8in. (241 x 115.5 x 83cm.)
ESTIMATE £700,000 – £1,000,000 ($921,900 – $1,317,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 1,451,250
Grayson Perry (B. 1960)
Style Riot
glazed ceramics 19 5/8 x 12 5/8 x 13 3/8in. (50 x 32 x 34cm.)
ESTIMATE £80,000 – £120,000 ($105,360 – $158,040)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 100,000
Jonathan Yeo (b. 1970)
Claire’s Room (Grayson Perry)
oil on canvas 50 x 40 1/8in. (127 x 102cm.)
ESTIMATE £100,000 – £150,000 ($131,700 – $197,550)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 125,000
Peter Doig (b. 1959)
Echo Lake
watercolor, gouache and pastel on paper 22 x 29 7/8in. (55.8 x 76cm.)
ESTIMATE £380,000 – £450,000 ($500,460 – $592,650)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 551,250
Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017)
Mirza’s Room
oil on wood 18 ¾ x 20 ½in. (47.5 x 52.1cm.)
ESTIMATE £250,000 – £350,000 ($329,250 – $460,950)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 250,000
Per Kirkeby (1938-2018)
Untitled
mixed media on masonite 71 7/8 x 48in. (182.6 x 121.9cm.)
ESTIMATE £80,000 – £120,000 ($105,360 – $158,040)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 106,250
Damien Hirst (b. 1965)
Mercuric Thiocyanate
household gloss on canvas 69 x 117in. (175.3 x 297.2cm.)
ESTIMATE £600,000 – £800,000 ($790,200 – $1,053,600)
RITIRATO
KAWS (b. 1974)
BENDING THE TRUTH
acrylic on canvas 72 x 72in. (183 x 183cm.)
ESTIMATE £200,000 – £300,000 ($263,400 – $395,100)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 467,250
David Salle (b. 1952)
Bigger Rack
acrylic and oil on canvas 96 1/8 x 131 7/8in. (244 x 335cm.)
ESTIMATE £200,000 – £300,000 ($263,400 – $395,100)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 515,250
George Condo (b. 1957)
Untitled
acrylic, charcoal, metallic paint and pigment stick on linen, in artist’s frame 59 x 66 1/8in. (150 x 168cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,200,000 – £1,800,000 ($1,580,400 – $2,370,600)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 1,331,250
Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985)
Clartés Alentour (Surrounding Clarity)
oil on canvas collage laid down on canvas 37 ¼ x 25 1/8 in. (94.6 x 63.8cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,500,000 – £2,000,000 ($1,975,500 – $2,634,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 1,691,250
Pierre Soulages (b. 1919)
Peinture, 73 x 100cm 17 mai 1964
oil on canvas 28 ¾ x 39 3/8in. (73 x 100cm.)
ESTIMATE £500,000 – £700,000 ($658,500 – $921,900)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 971,250
Joan Mitchell (1925-1992)
Blue Michigan
oil on canvas 51 x 63 5/8in. (129.2 x 161.6cm.)
ESTIMATE £2,800,000 – £3,500,000 ($3,687,600 – $4,609,500)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 2,891,250
Gerhard Richter (b. 1932)
A B, Tower
oil on canvas 55 1/8 x 39 3/8in. (140 x 100cm.)
ESTIMATE £3,000,000 – £5,000,000 ($3,951,000 – $6,585,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 3,131,250
Cy Twombly (1928-2011)
Untitled (Ramifications)
oil, graphite and wax crayon on card 33 ¼ x 27 ¼in. (84.5 x 69.2cm.)
ESTIMATE £600,000 – £800,000 ($790,200 – $1,053,600)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 611,250
LUCIO FONTANA (1899-1968)
Concetto spaziale, Attese
waterpaint on canvas 35¼ x 45 7/8in. (89.5 x 116.5cm.)
ESTIMATE £2,000,000 – £3,000,000 ($2,634,000 – $3,951,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 2,291,250
Lucio Fontana (1899-1968)
Concetto Spaziale
acrylic on canvas 39 3/8 x 31 7/8in. (100 x 80.9cm.)
ESTIMATE £800,000 – £1,200,000 ($1,053,600 – $1,580,400)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 941,250
Wolfgang Tillmans (B. 1968)
Freischwimmer 207
C-print mounted on Dibond in artist’s frame image: 67 3/8 x 89 ¾in. (171 x 228cm.) overall: 71 3/8 x 93¾in. (181 x 238cm.)
ESTIMATE £180,000 – £250,000 ($237,060 – $329,250)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 225,000
Anselm Kiefer (B. 1945)
Dein und mein Alter und das Alter der Welt (Your age and my age and the age…
oil, lacquer, emulsion, straw and bitumen with painted sunflowers cast in aluminium and fiberglass on canvas 111 3/8 x 152 x 11¾in. (283 x 386 x 30cm.)
ESTIMATE £500,000 – £700,000 ($658,500 – $921,900)
UNSOLD
Pierre Soulages (b. 1919)
Peinture 162 x 130cm, 16 octobre 1966
oil on canvas 63 ¾ x 51in.(162 x 130cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,500,000 – £2,000,000 ($1,975,500 – $2,634,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 1,811,250
Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955)
Bouteilles (Bottles)
oil on canvas 36 ¼ x 28 ½in. (92 x 72.4cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,800,000 – £2,500,000 ($2,370,600 – $3,292,500)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 4,519,250
NICOLAS DE STAËL (1914-1955)
Barques dans le Port (Boats in the Harbour)
oil on canvas 28¾ x 39¼in. (73 x 99.7cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,400,000 – £1,900,000 ($1,843,800 – $2,502,300)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 2,411,250
Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955)
Les Footballeurs (Parc des Princes)
oil on masonite 22 ½ x 30 3/8in. (57 x 77.2cm.)
ESTIMATE £2,000,000 – £3,000,000 ($2,634,000 – $3,951,000)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 2,891,250
Jannis Kounellis (1936-2017)
Untitled
oil on canvas 23 7/8 x 31 ¾in. (60.5 x 80.5cm.)
ESTIMATE £250,000 – £350,000 ($329,250 – $460,950)
PRICE REALIZED
David Hockney (b. 1937)
A Realistic Still Life
acrylic on canvas 48 x 48in. (121.9 x 121.9cm.)
ESTIMATE £1,500,000 – £2,000,000 ($1,975,500 – $2,634,000)
UNSOLD
Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908-1992)
La Plage de Vieira
oil on paper laid down on canvas 26 3/8 x 42in. (67 x 107cm.)
ESTIMATE £550,000 – £750,000 ($724,350 – $987,750)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 587,250
Sam Gilliam (b. 1933)
Resting
acrylic on canvas 35 7/8 x 75 ¾in. (91.1 x 192.4cm.)
ESTIMATE £500,000 – £700,000 ($658,500 – $921,900)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 491,250
Anselm Kiefer (b. 1945)
Das Rheingold
oil on canvas 74 ¾ x 67 1/8in. (189.9 x 170.5cm.)
ESTIMATE £750,000 – £950,000 ($987,750 – $1,251,150)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 491,250
Georg Baselitz (B. 1938)
Untitled
graphite and chalk on paper 23 7/8 x 16 ¾in. (60.8 x 42.7cm.)
ESTIMATE £200,000 – £300,000 ($263,400 – $395,100)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 250,000
Josef Albers (1888-1976)
Homage to the Square: Last Year
oil on masonite 40 x 40in. (101.6 x 101.6cm.)
ESTIMATE £400,000 – £600,000 ($526,800 – $790,200)
PRICE REALIZED GBP 611,250