The total result of the London evening auction of contemporary art totaled 74.4 million pounds. Among the top lots also includes works by Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Basquiat

in London yesterday his first this year evening auction of postwar and contemporary art held Sotheby's. Of the 54 lots offered sold 44 (81%). The final result is 74.4 million pounds (116.4 million dollars) quietly missed the estimate 61,2-84,5 million pounds.

FRANCIS BACON three sketches to portraits. 1980 canvas. Each design 35.5 x 30 Sotheby's. 02/12/2013. Lot 11 Estimate: 10-15 million pounds Result: 13.8 million pounds Source: sothebys.com

lot with only eight- estimate: (10-15 million pounds) - a triptych by Francis Bacon in 1980 - gone within a pre-assessment for 13.8 million pounds. The previous owner bought it from Europe in 2006 for 3.8 million pounds. This triptych painted by Bacon at age 71, belongs to a group of eleven triptychs in the same format of 14 x 12 inches (35.6 x 30.5). By collectors, however, in great demand earlier triptychs Bacon - 1960-70's. The most famous of them - in 1975 - was sold at Christie's for 17.3 million pounds in 2008. Yesterday at Sotheby's another sketch of Bacon in 1976 (single) was sold for 4.5 million pounds, twice as much as the estimate 1.8-2.5 million pounds. The work came at a public auction for the first time.

Gerhard Richter Abstract Painting (769-1). 1992 canvas. 200 x 160 Sotheby's. 02/12/2013. Lot 23 Estimate: 7.5-9.5 million pounds Result: 8.16 million pounds Source: sothebys.com

At yesterday's auction was not without the works of the most successful living artist Gerhard Richter. According to Bloomberg citing Artnet, the creation of this German painter in 2012 earned at auction 298.9 million (48.8%more than in 2011). And yesterday his "Abstract Painting (769-1)" in 1992, first came to the auction of the European collection, went to a phone buyer for 8.16 million pounds with the Commission. A photorealistic painting "The Cloud" in 1976 (estimate 7-9 million pounds) took another client on the phone for 7.6 million pounds. Expose "Cloud" collector bought the picture in the same London office of Sotheby's in 1999 for £ 1 million. But not all of even such stars as Richter, equally successful at public auction. The other two lots - abstraction in 1986 for £ 1 million and a quartet of four small paintings in shades of gray for 600 thousand pounds - not found buyers.

Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled (Pecho /Oreja). 1982-1983 canvas, acrylic, oil pastel and collage on paper 183 x 183 Sotheby's. 02/12/2013. Lot 31 Estimate: 7-9 million pounds Result: 6.8 million pounds Source: sothebys.com

work" Untitled "Jean-Michel Basquiat with Spanish words« pecho »(chest) and« oreja »(ear), despite numerous autobiographical allusions (native to the artist's maternal Spanish, the subject of anatomy, etc.) and strong provenance ( work for almost 20 years belonged to the group U2), did not cause excitement in the hall. One of the main fans of Basquiat, a New York collector Jose Mugrabi bought it even cheaper estimate - for 6.8 million pounds with the Commission. He also got a triptych Basquiat "Five species of fish" (1983): Working with the estimate of 4,25-6,25 million pounds he bought for 5 million pounds.

Top 10 lots of the auction Sotheby's
«postwar and contemporary art»
London, February 12, 2013

№ lot	Description	Estimate, million pounds	result, millions of pounds	Buyer
11	Francis Bacon Three to sketch portraits. 1980	10-15	13,76	Juergen Hall
23	Gerhard Richter Abstract painting. 1992	7,5-9,5	8,16	anonymous buyer
7	Gerhard Richter Cloud. 1976	7-9	7,6	private collector, Europe
31	Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled (Pecho /Oreja). 1982-1983	7-9	6,8	private collector, the U.S.
35	Jean-Michel Basquiat Five species of fish. 1983	4,25-6,25	4,97	private collector, the U.S.
16	Francis Bacon Sketch for self-portrait. 1976	1,8-2,5	4,52	private collector
20	Lucio Fontana The spatial concept. Waiting. 1965	2,2-2,8	2,6	private collector, Europe
14	Mark Rothko No title. 1969	2,5-3,5	2,56	private collector, Europe
32	Andy Warhol Lenin. 1986	1,5-2	2,17	private collector, Europe
24	Sigmar Polke People like you I am. 1988	0,8-1,2	1,66	private collector

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources : artinvestment.ru