Sotheby’s London Contemporary Art Evening Sale Realises £78.8m

Last night in London, Sotheby’s Contemporary Art evening sale realised £75.8 million. Leading the auction were two works by Francis Bacon. The 1966 triptych portrait of his friend, muse and lover Isabel Rawsthorne which sold for £11,282,500, while the first work the artist ever sold, his historic Head III was battled for by six collectors, driving the price to £10,442,500. Also performing strongly were works by David Hockney,  Gerhard Richter and Andreas Gursky.

“Tonight’s sale was all about the quest for quality – quality across categories – from the modern masters to the new generation of artists. We offered some great historic works of art and achieved some great prices for them, as buyers went down the connoisseurial route – buying with intelligence and passion. Participation was truly global, making it a strong night for British art, photography, European abstract works and German artists.”

The opportunity to acquire landmark works for their collections bought bidders from 38 countries to compete at Sotheby’s London. The Contemporary Art Evening Auction realised £75.8 million, with an average lot value of £1.43 million – one of the highest figures for this category in London. Leading the sale were two works by Francis Bacon. The 1966 triptych portrait of his friend, muse and lover Isabel Rawsthorne sold for £11,282,500, while the first work the artist ever sold, his historic Head III was battled for by six collectors, driving the price to £10,442,500 (est. £5-7m). Fifty-four years ago, just across the road from Sotheby’s at the Hanover Gallery in St. George Street, the same work fetched £150 at Bacon’s first ever commercial show”. – Alex Branczik, Head of Sotheby’s Contemporary

Other Results:

Pierre Soulages, Peinture, 21 novembre 1959 – £4,338,500, doubling low estimate (£2-3m) Record for any living French artist at auction

Thomas Struth, Pantheon, Rome – £818,500 (est. £400,000-600,000)  Morethanfivetimesthepriceachievedfortheworkin2000

Hurvin Anderson, Beach Scene – £302,500, double the high estimate (est. £100,000-150,000)

David Hockney, Double East Yorkshire, 1998 THE FIRST WORK SOLD FROM LAST YEARS LANDMARK ROYAL ACADEMY SHOW £3,442,500 (est. £2-3m)

David Hockney, A Small Sunbather, 1967 INSCRIBED TO HIS LOVER PETER SCHLESINGER FOUGHT OVER BY 6 BIDDERS £1,154,500 (est. £300,000-500,000)

Bridget Riley, Stretch, 1964 £1,594,500 (est. £1-1.5m)

Lucio Fontana, Concetto Spaziale, Le Chiese di Venezia, 1961 £4,450,500 (est. £4-6m)
AMONG TOP 5 PRICES EVER PAID
FOR FONTANA AT AUCTION
HIGHEST PRICE EVER PAID FOR A WORK FROM
THE ARTIST’S VENEZIA SERIES

Pierre Soulages, Peinture, 21 novembre 1959 £4,338,500 (est. £2-3m)
A NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR A LIVING FRENCH ARTIST
                        
Gursky, 5 works from his ‘Stock Exchange’ series sold for a combined total of £5,464,500 (est. £2.5-3.4m)

Gursky’s Chicago Board of Trade III, 1999-2009 Realises £2,154,500 (est.£600,000-800,000) After an 8 way bidding battle

3 TIMES PREVIOUS AUCTION RECORD
FOR A GURSKY STOCK EXCHANGE PHOTOGRAPH

Thomas Struth, Pantheon, Rome £818,500 (est. £400,000-600,000)
A NEW RECORD FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION
    
Glenn Ligon, Untitled (negro sunshine), 2005 £194,500 (est. £100,000-150,000)

Dan Colen, Clams Casio, 2010 £158,500 (est. £100,000-150,000)

Nate Lowman, This Marilyn, 2011

£278,500 (est. £150,000-200,000)

THE ARTIST’S FIRST APPEARANCE AT A LONDON AUCTION

Hurvin Anderson, Beach Scene, 2003

£302,500 (est. £100,000-150,000)

Sotheby's London Contemporary Art Evening Sale Realises £78.8m

Francis Bacon: 1966 triptych portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne sold for £11,282,500

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