February 23 evening auction works from the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger had a record 267 million dollars
ARTinvestment.RU   24 февраля 2009

The most expensive pieces were the work of Matisse, Brancusi and Mondrian

Yesterday evening in Paris' Grand Palais hosted the first session of auction works from the collection of couturier Yves Saint-Laurent ( Yves Saint-Laurent) and his partner Pierre Berger (Pierre Bergé). At the auction, arranged house Christie's, was billed on the creation of 61 Impressionist and Modern. 59 works found buyers. Total auction yielded 206 154 600 euro (266 743 437 dollars), far surpassing estimeyt to 129-181 million euros. Assembly of Saint-Laurent, and Berger became the most expensive private collection ever sold at public auction, the previous record belonged to collection of Victor and Sally Ganz (Victor & Sally Ganz), who in 1997 had 206.5 million dollars. A collection of the most expensive in the world considered to be collection of art dealer Iliana Sonnabend (Ileana Sonnabend). Last year, her heirs sold some work in private, enriched by 600 million dollars.

All products included in the top three top lots yesterday, Christie's, far exceeded estimeyt. The most expensive work was the painting by Henri Matisse (Henri Matisse) «primrose on the tablecloth in blue and pink colors». We evaluated it in the 12-18 million euro, and brought the whole 36 million (45 million U.S. dollars) * Cloth bought the New York art adviser Franck Giraud (Franck Giraud) from the group of Giraud Pissarro Segalot. Now «primrose on the tablecloth in blue and pink colors» is the most expensive work of Matisse, ever sold at auction. This pushed the still-life with the first line of the price rate of Matisse painting «odalisque. Blue Harmony », sold in 2007 at Christie's for 33.6 million dollars.

In the second place - a great modernist sculptor Constantin Brancusi (Constantin Brancusi) «Portrait of Madame LR», sold for 29 million euros (37 million dollars) at estimeyte 15-20 million euros. The work is notable for its provenansom: one of its previous owners - the famous painter Fernand Leger (Fernand Léger). Brancusi sculpture, and Matisse still life, broke the previous auction record of the artist, which amounted to 27,5 million dollars. That amount brought in 2005 at Christie's Work «A bird in the space».

grave fighting flared up for the «composition in blue, red, yellow and black» brush great abstraktsionista Piet Mondrian (Piet Mondrian). Experts rated the picture of the auction house for only 7-10 million euros, as she went for 21.5 million (27 million dollars). And this amount was a record. The title of most expensive paintings till yesterday evening in a cloth «Nyu-York/Bugi-vugi», sold in 2004 at Sotheby's for 21 million dollars.

Another beautiful picture of Mondrian, minimalistichnaya «Composition with the bars 2», was sold for 14 million euros (18 million dollars) at estimeyte 7-10 million. The work has acquired Philip Segal (Philippe Segalot), one of the partners Franck Giraud. Segal bought the picture for a very influential collector.

stunning record works Marcel Duchamp (Marcel Duchamp), too, «the work» Giraud and Segal. Redimeyd called Belle Haleine - Eau de Voilette left for 9 million euros (11 million dollars), with a preliminary assessment of 1-1,5 million euros. The work represents a flakonchik spirits with a photo of Dushan, change into a woman. Boom buyers easy to understand: these creations «the father of conceptual art» displayed on the auction is very uncommon. In addition, this artist redimeyd made not one, but with the help of his friend Ray Mann (Man Ray). The previous record belonged to the works of Dushan «cycling wheel», which took in 2002 at Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg for 1.8 million dollars.

Another remarkable record established painting by Giorgio de Chirico (Giorgio de Chirico) «back», which depicts the artist's father. It was sold for 11 million euros (14 million dollars) at estimeyte 7-10 million euros. The new owner of the painting became the Pompidou Center in Paris. Previously, the most expensive work of the artist felt cloth «Big metaphysician», sold at Christie's in 2004 for 7 million dollars.

A great picture of James Ensora (James Ensor) «Despair Piero» was sold for 5 million euros (6.3 million dollars). Experts praised the auction house it in 2-3 million. The painting became the most expensive piece of the great Belgian, «overtaking» canvas «Good judges», sold at Christie's in 2004 for 1.3 million dollars.

One of the two works are not found a buyer, was a still life of Pablo Picasso (Pablo Picasso) «Musical instruments on the table». This canvas was the highest estimeyt - 25-30 million euros, but nobody wanted to pay him more than 21 million. After bidding Pierre Berger said that the fund will give a picture, which they founded Saint Laurent in 2002.

A very pleasant surprise was the unexpected success of two works by Paul Klee - Sollte Steigen and «Figure of gardening». First brought 2.2 million euros at estimeyte 400-600 thousand, the second - 4 million, with thousands of estimeyte 600-900.

Sale Collection Saint-Laurent and Berger was a grand event. Last weekend at the Grand Palais was a free pre-show, the organization which the auction house has cost a million euro. The exhibition proved very popular: only on Saturday, it was visited by 12 and a half thousand people. After the close of the exhibition at the Grand Palais was a great mart for the 1 500 seats - the largest hall in which ever took place auction Christie's. Shortly before the auction lots came to see President Nicolas Sarkozy (Nicolas Sarkozy), which Berger was awarded «gift to France from Saint-Laurent» - painting Goya (Francisco de Goya) with the image of the child.

Today and tomorrow in Paris will be another five auctions in which buyers will be invited more than 600 works of art. February 25, will go under the hammer main «blockbusters» - bronze sculptures in the form of heads of rats and rabbits, made in China in the era of the Qing Dynasty. Each of these works is estimated at 8-10 million euro. «Rat» and «Rabbit», seems to deserve the title of the most «scandal» the auction lots - once they had been stolen from the Imperial Palace. The Government of China stated that will seek the return of the sculptures at home . Recently, a group of Chinese lawyers asked the court to prohibit the requirement to sell the work of Berger, but the success they have not made - on Monday the French court ruled that «Rat» and «Rabbit» can put to tender. The point is that, according to French law, to demand the return of the sculptures are only descendants of the Qing dynasty emperors, by the Chinese lawyers have not been able both to be «skooperirovatsya». In addition, Berger and Saint Laurent products purchased legally. The question could Pierre Berger just give China its national treasures, the collector said that would do it only if Beijing «respect human rights, gave freedom to the citizens of Tibet and the Dalai Lama accepted». The story of the bronze sculptures in China, has provoked a surge of nationalist sentiment.

All proceeds from the sale of works will go to fund the needs of Saint-Laurent and Berger, as well as a new fund to fight AIDS.

Top-20 lots of auction Christie ' s

* All prices include the Buyer's Premium.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Source: artinfo.com , christies.com , bloomberg.com , nytimes.com , artinvestment.ru