Christie’s Contemporary Art Evening to Open Up June Auction Season

On the evening of the 27 of June Christie’s will feature a plethora of amazing artists and sell above and beyond what many expect to be a dim display given the deepening global financial woes. The event offered at Christie’s will showcase the works of the best contemporary artists to have exhibited following the war, and those who’s work has often laid the foundations for the Contemporary Art scene. The featured events include the sale of work by subliminal French Conceptual artist Yves Klein and Francis Bacon.

Along side Klein and Bacon are a swarm of other very monumental artists who’s works have moved and shaped the Contemporary Art scene following the war and continue to influence not only the art world, but also modern streams of culture today. Along side Klein and Bacon, the auction will feature the works of Lucio Fontana, Lucien Freud, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, and Andy Warhol.

The total amount Christie’s collected in sales following a similar Contemporary Art sale in 2010 reached an astonishing £39,149,500. Surprisingly, the majority of the work sold, was bought from collectors in the UK or in Europe, followed closely by collectors living in the Americas and finally by Asian buyers. Recently, major sales across the board at auction are dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern buyers, in begs to ask whether European buyers will stake more on a variety of work that is particularly European in nature
           
The worlds largest pink sponge relief created by Yves Klein will be up for auction at the upcoming showcase alongside a similar piece, Relief eponge Bleu. The pieces up for sale are ones that were featured during the only retrospective to take place during the artist’s lifetime and are expect to fetch no less than an estimated $9 million which was paid for similar pieces during the Contemporary Art Auction at Christie’s in 2010.

  In addition to the work of Klein, pieces by Francis Bacon will also be set for auction on the 27 of this month. The piece Study for Self-Portrait is the item that is expected to capture the heart of the buyers during the evening’s events. It is an important piece in the artist’s collection as it is one of only twelve self-portraits that are floor-length. The other eleven paintings are currently held in collections at a variety of international museums including the Hirshhorrn Museum. Bacon was able to capture in this painting, his friend and colleague, Lucien Freud who’s form was used as a basis for Bacon’s face in the composition.

The evening at Christie’s has a great deal to offer and will certainly not disappoint art fans and those looking to buy a new piece for the collection. There will be a delightful variety of different works and the featured pieces by Bacon and Klein. More information about the evening and day auctions held at Christie’s can be found on the website and the event will be taking place on Wednesday 27 of June. Words: Portia Pettersen

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