Successful bidding works of impressionists and modernists, February 2-3, add houses Christie's and Sotheby's confidence in the success of the upcoming auctions of contemporary art

optimistic auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's is more than justified itself on the auction works of the Impressionists and modernists, held in London on February 2 and 3. Christie's managed to gain 76.83 million pounds, which is almost completely coincided with the expectations of the organizers hoped to get from 54,5 to 77, 8 million . A Sotheby's auction on Feb. 3 brought a real sensation: a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti (Alberto Giacometti) «walking man I» was sold for 58 million pounds (here and later in the paper prices specified without Buyer's Premium, so they may differ from those of other materials of the site. - AI .), and became the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. We can therefore say that the choice of works and prices in the auction catalogs of modern art from Christie's and Sotheby's, scheduled for 10 and 11 February, turned out to be prophetically relevant that situation, which is observed on the art market. Both auction houses expect to earn together in the evening bid 69 million pounds, which is 54 percent more than in February 2009.

• LYUSIEN Freud Self-portrait with a black eye. Ok. 1978. Oil on canvas. 18,8 x 14,3
  Sotheby's. 10/02/2010. Lot number 67
  Estimate: 3-4 million pounds

Feb. 10 Sotheby's will provide customers a solid catalog of 80 lots (Christie's the next day will offer only 52).

Evening auction Sotheby's, which organizers expect to gain 32 million pounds will be divided into two sessions. In the first of them will be presented 49 works from the collection Lenz Schoenberg (Lenz Schönberg), never before appeared at auction. The optimism of the organizers of trades in respect of the Sterling is quite understandable: "Collection Lenz Schoenberg" in Provenance - a guarantee of quality and relevance of the market. Consumers will be offered three works by Yves cursing (Yves Klein): «IKB 45" (estimate 500-700 thousand pounds), «MG 25" from the cycle «Monogold» (0,8-1,2 million), as well as «Feu 88 , combining traces of fire with the imprint of the human body (estimate 2,8-3,5 million). As part of this session can also be purchased four works by Lucio Fontana (Lucio Fontana) from the series "The spatial concept. Two of them are made in brass (estimate each 1,5-2 million pounds), and two more - on the canvas, one of them as part of a series Pietri ( «Stones") and is known as a portrait of Carlo Kardatstso (estimate 1.5 -2 million pounds).

• PETER Doig St. Anton (Flat light)
  1995-1996. Oil on canvas. 275 x 275
  Sotheby's. 10/02/2010. Lot number 51
  Estimate: 2-3 million pounds

second session of the evening trades Sotheby's on Feb. 10 includes Lyusiena five works of Freud (Lucian Freud), including the famous "Self-portrait with a black eye" , valued by experts at the auction house 3-4 million pounds. The last self-portrait of this quality, but refers to the "surrealist" period (1943), appeared at the auction Sotheby's 22 June 2005 and brought the then 3.3 million pounds. Recall also that in May 2008 led Freud Lyusien rating living artist, when painting "Sleep inspector benefits "went under the hammer at Christie's in New York for $ 30 million .

Sotheby's will also offer customers two paintings by Peter Doig (Peter Doig):« Bob's House "(estimate 300-400 thousand pounds) and St. Anthony (Flat light) "- large-scale painting, valued at 2-3 million pounds. A similar estimate: put up for sale Abstraktes Bild Gerhard Richter (Gerhard Richter) and "Untitled XIV» Willem de Kooning (Willem de Kooning). Large picture of Madonna's concert on Sept. 15, 2001 in Steplz Center Los Angeles, made by Andreas Gursky (Andreas Gursky), is estimated to be 0,9-1,3 million pounds. And made by Andy Warhol (Andy Warhol) sad portrait of "Jackie", in which the wife of President John F. Kennedy, embodying the funeral of her husband, has estimate of 0,8-1,2 million pounds.

• Yves Klein Golden sponge RE47II. 1961
  board, gold leaf, sponge, gravel, synthetic rubber. 45,5 x 80 x 7,5
  Christie's. 11/02/2010. Lot number 16
  Estimate: 5-7 million pounds

The next day, Feb. 11 auction house Christie's expects to earn 37 million pounds (excluding commissions) . As at Sotheby's, Christie's in the catalog, there are several works by Yves Klein. Among them, special mention should be "Golden sponge RE47II», dating from the 1961 year. It has a rather high estimate - 5.7 million pounds, as this work is of excellent quality, besides rare (gold reliefs Klein did not occur as often as blue). At Christie's evening auction buyers will be invited Peter Doig painting "West facade of the cement blocks that are the same estimate as" Saint Anthony "at Sotheby's, - 2-3 million pounds. It is worth noting that during 2009 the price level of work Doig has not decreased, and his works are in demand. For example, 10 November 2009 at Christie's «Reflection (How does your soul)" was sold for 9 million dollars at Estimé of 4-6 million .

Among the other top lots Christie's worth noting "Anthropometry (ANT 5)" Yves Klein (estimate 1,5-2 million pounds), "dollar sign" Andy Warhol (estimate 1,2-1,8 million) and "too personal nurse number 1" Richard Prince (1,2-1,8 million). Incidentally, the only work of the Prince series "Nurse", put up for auction in 2009, brought 30 June 2009 at Christie's 1,5 million pounds.

• PETER Doig The western facade of the cement block
  1993. Oil on canvas. 199,5 x 275
  Christie's. 11/02/2010. Lot number 7
  Estimate: 2-3 million pounds

Good results are bidding works Contemporary Art Christie's and Sotheby's, held in November last year, gave a strong impetus to the growth of prices in this market sector. On this positive background, the prospect of the first round of the 2010 auction of Contemporary Art Christie's and Sotheby's looks quite promising.

Material prepared Ekaterina Guseva, AI

Sources: artprice.com , artinvestment.ru