Results «Contemporary art» at Sotheby's

admit, has always been interested in, why do «estimeyt on request»? From that obscure? Neuzhto from tax? Actually, this fog napuskayut rarely, only for the exceptional value of things - for example, for the 104 millionth «Boy with a pipe» Picasso. Masterpieces, which Sotheby 's been afraid to name the price guidance on the February auction «Contemporary Art», it was several.

The clear favorite of 27 February 2008 was, however, not a teenager with bad habits, and the woman, whose manners, upbringing and lifestyle, however, also left much to be desired.

Francis Bacon. 1969. Dvuhmetrovaya «Composition with the naked and the person in the mirror». The most valuable time. Interesting story (naked on a table - this is Henrietta Moraes, a gay friend and muse Bacon). Comfortable on the standards of Bacon size (only some two meters, which could be four). High decorativeness: Bacon without the cost of conventional ugly details. A good history of life. Dozens of exhibits. Dozens of publications. Rave reviews of critics. In short, no issues. «Nude», of course, one of the greatest works of English expressionist of appearing at auction in recent years. But the thing sold, too, is completely remarkable. In 2007, only the auction was bought seven (!) Bacon canvases expensive $ 10 million each (well, plus or minus). Thus, «hammer price» picture «Composition with Pope Innocent X» (shifting portrait painted by Velazquez, 1962) in May last year and again at Sotheby's was 47 million dollars. Then was a sensation. And now a price for Bacon - this is normal. Recall that the «Battle of bull No. 1» (1969) last year was sold for 41 million dollars without regard to the commission. And in early February 2008 at Christie's bought chetyrehmetrovy «Triptych» Bacon for 46, $ 3 million - to record a little bit not enough. Oops, and this time: the picture has collected the cash desk in 19, 95 million pounds - 40 million dollars. But the thing is, of course, be remembered. And not just because of money.

Here is the work of «Breakfast» Brushes living creative rival Bacon Lyutsiana Freud glove quickly forgotten. In principle, people familiar with the work of another famous British expressionist classic with the rank of lifetime, something that is difficult to shock. Accustomed to that method of artistic and expressive means of Freud's very specific. Extravagant artist tries to recreate the image of the model is not to look, and their perceptions of her inner world. Work on a small portrait of Freud may take a whole year, require the presence of frequent conversations: the artist you want to know well their model. As a result of British Queen Elizabeth accept mannish with his strong-willed person, and model Kate Moss - from the scandalous-nemodelnym image. But in «Breakfast», which shows a relative of Freud, the artist has surpassed himself in the ruthlessness of copyright sight. You had to be too great aesthetes to buy this thing for a general, low to Freud's two million dollars. And that difficult to be aesthetes are not the only one to whom it was later sold. The room did not find buyers with such exquisite mental organization - the lot was not sold. You can say it serves.

Similar words could be said of the great modern painter Marlene Dumas «Evil-eye». Dvuhmetrovoe oil also proved unsold. But rather, for another reason. The decorative side picture perfect. But things got too bad. Look - and not on its own: The evil in full. You need to have considerable courage to keep this thing at home. So that there is nobody to blame the failure of the lot.

Canvas «Five bottles» Nicholas de It was worth mentioning, unfortunately, just because of the fact that «our people». Formally, and a summary of the work, and technical parameters - everything is perfect. Year of creation is a recognized as the best period, plus a commercial size, a reasonable estimeyt, useful manner. A few years before the suicide de Stal to feel a "unique style, which allowed him to become one of the most significant figures in abstract expressionism. The peculiarity is that in the works «late» De became abstract means indicated Figurative basis. In his set of tight-fisted strokes guessed it figures, the city, it ships. And sometimes through abstraction appears a landscape view, as the coast in its most expensive painting «Mediterranean». But this is where the problem lies. Those who saw the masterpiece «Mediterranean», will not need to explain why the «Five bottles» - the average work. And that techniques have much in common, in ideological terms, it yields great. Bottles and bottles yourself. There is no mystery. On the other hand, did de Stal, 1954-year, low cost can not. Therefore the result: 714, 9 thousand pounds, nearly a half million dollars.

Finally, the turn came to two of the most beautiful works of trades. Canvas «Spatial Concept, the divine finale» Italian avant-gardist Lucio Fontana was sold for 10, 32 million pounds - a record price for the work of the artist. To mark the 20 million dollars in the market was long ago, were already 14 million dollars, and millions too. That is, the result is not accidental. «Spatial Concept» - is the name brand original paintings and sculptures of artist-»spatsialista» (from the Italian spazio - space, space). He «overcomes» plane of the picture, cut the canvas. The idea of the artist - to develop new space beyond the two-dimensional. After Alexander Arkhipenko he is doing the holes in the sculptures, stone: drew emptiness as an equal element of the sculpture, gives her role and gives meaning to - and thus difficult to have three-dimensional space.

If you have not seen firm slanting cuts on canvas Fountains, then surely remember almost the same on the canvas Vladimir Nemukhin.

But «Spatial Concept, the divine finals» (or more correctly be translated «end deity»?), caused a sensation, there were no recognizable cuts. The work was done in the year of death other artists - his colleague Piero Mantsoni. It used another company «Space» Theme Fountains - the form of eggs (a symbol of life), mottled cavities (the symbol of the new open spaces), and even covered with gold (symbol of prosperity). Sold thing of the museum is uniquely and solely decorative. From the catalog, it is said to only work in which Fontana has used the effect of golden luster. More to the reception ideologist abstract kosmizma not come back.

A few minutes before his moment of glory Fountains survived an elderly German artist Gerhard Richter. Over the past ten years the price of his paintings have increased an average of 7, 5 times, and only in the last four years - nearly tripled. Planck in a million, even five million dollars had been taken long ago. But a few days ago, already subject to 16 million dollars. Work «candle» 1983, on a range of estimates is indeed a masterpiece. Especially pleasing to the eyes of people, tired of the provocative imagery of abstract expressionism. Tribute to this area at that time and sacrificed Richter. But «candle» refers to the very different period in his work. This hyperrealism - the accuracy of photographic images on a picturesque manner. In fact, photorealism Richter - it «withdrawal pictures» not in tyutelka tyutelku. He uses tricks «impairment» image transfer to canvas psevdodefektov inherent in photography, painting chooses to just downing «exposure» and «extract». Here «candle» turned out to be not quite a clear picture. Beautiful. On the other hand, the beauty of 16 million should be consistent with the much more complex sense criteria. And you need to obviously be a very enthusiastic person, to formulate these innovations to Richter.

Source: www.sothebys.com