Performance of contemporary works of art Christie's and Phillips
ARTinvestment.RU   06 июля 2008

Christie's Auction on June 30 on the post-war and contemporary art, has become the most successful in this category in Europe in the history of the auction house. Trades in the same category Phillips de Pury

the evening of June 30 in London took place on auction of postwar and contemporary works of art. Auction offered 86 241 600 pounds (171 879 508 dollars). This amount is within estimeyta, but a record for Christie's auction in this category in Europe. 18 works were sold for amounts exceeding 1 million pounds, 30 more than 1 million dollars. Three of the achieved value in excess of 10 million pounds: Triptych «Three Etudes for self» Francis Bacon, «A flower from a balloon (Purple)» and the picture Lusiena Freud «Portrait of naked women with reflection».

The most expensive of the auction, of course, was the paintings of Francis Bacon. «Three Etudes for self» went for 17 289 250 pounds (34 319 184 USD). The triptych was painted in 1975 in Paris. From the French capital, the famous British modernist appeared uneasy relationship. Here the artist's reputation was greater than anywhere else, but with Paris he was one of the worst memories: it is there in 1971, the eve of a big retrospective of Bacon at the Grand Palais, suicide of his favorite people - George Dyer . Little is known about the pictures, written by Bacon, in Paris. Death of beloved artist pushed to the painful thoughts of death. «Every day when I look in the mirror, I see death as does its work», - he said once in an interview. The painting, sold yesterday at Christie's, - a reflection of the artist that he was - death.

Second place in the list of the most expensive of the last auction took «flower from a balloon (Purple)» King of the American pop art of Jeff Koons. Its 9.5-ton steel flower at Christie's went for 12 921 250 pounds (25 648 698 dollars), becoming the most expensive work of the genius of American marketing. At the auction has been installed and another record for Koons: Pictures Auto, brought 4 992 963 dollars, it became the most expensive paintings.

third of the cost of the work belongs to the auction Lusienu Freud, the author of the most expensive work of living artists and a part-grandson of the founder of psychoanalysis. Recall that in May picture «Sleep Inspector payments» was sold for 33.6 million dollars . Yesterday at Christie's was represented less odious piece: the image lying on the couch naked women and mirror legs artist in the background. «Portrait of naked women with reflection» left over 11 801 250 pounds (23 425 497 dollars).

Top 5 most expensive of the last auction:

• Francis Bacon. «Three studies to self». 17.29 million pounds.
• Jeff Koons. «A flower from a balloon (Purple)». 12.92 million pounds.
• Lusien Freud. «Portrait of naked women with reflection». 11.8 million pounds.
• Andy Warhol. «Nine polychrome Marilyn» (from «Series Rivers»). 4.07 million pounds.
• Andy Warhol. «Last Supper». 3.23 million pounds.

There is also found several records. The high price achieved vision, Antonio Lopez Garcia «View of Madrid from the White Towers» (1 385 250 pounds, or 2 760 803 dollars), made of the Spanish realist author of the most expensive work of living Spanish artists. Antonio Lopez Garcia, who was born in 1936, little known outside their homeland. He reached artistic maturity in the era of the dictatorship of Franco, which prevented his art go to the international arena. But in Spain, the artist is truly gained cult status. In the late 1980's it «opened», New York and London, where his paintings quickly earned success with art critics, describing it as «the greatest of living artists-realists». Madrid - one of the favorite themes of this interesting artist, and his chief inspirer - paintings by old masters.

Personal records were also set work for one of the most famous Russian artists abroad - became , nee Nicholas Vladimirovich became von Holstein. Painting «Snow Marseilles», brought 1 721 250 pounds (3 430 451 dollars), was written at the height of the creative heyday of the artist, in 1954, just one year before his suicide. Here he masterfully combines the techniques of lyrical abstraction with figurative elements, which became his «visiting card».

Despite the fact that yesterday's Christie's has been very successful, to avoid disappointment is still not possible. In particular, the picture remained unsold Luchio Fontana «Space concept». Company «ragged canvas» the Italian avant-gardist was too expensive. It was anticipated that work will be at least 8 million pounds, but buy it for that price was not found wanting.

In principle, this is one of the very few failures of Christie's - of the 58 lots, only 10 did not find buyers.

As for the «national structure» of bidders, the 48% of them were Americans, 42% - Europeans, 8% - born in Asia and 2% - representatives of other nations.

Unlike Christie's, held the day before the auction of works of Contemporary Art Phillips de Pury & Co has been unsuccessful. The catalog has been reported 91 the lot, and just a third of the catalog list (34%) remained unsold. Moreover, the auction house suffered losses, because many of the unsold lots, he gave the guarantee. One of the top lots of trades, poliptih «Amnesia and Memory (One Week)» Chinese symbolist Zhang Syaogana «failed» with the result of 850 thousand pounds (estimeyt works of 1-1,5 million pounds). The most expensive piece of the current bidding Phillips later became a nameless abstraction Willem de Kuninga sold for 3 513 250 pounds. Trades brought about 24.5 million pounds, which is not dotyanulo even to the lower limit of the initial peer review, which was 29,2-41,6 million pounds.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: artdaily.com , artinfo.com , christies.com , phillipsdepury.com , artinvestment.ru