LONDON.- Bonhams held two Post-War & Contemporary Art sales at New Bond Street London today (Thursday 29 June), 20th Century Masters : A Private Collection – Fontana to Baselitz and Post-War & Contemporary Art, which achieved a combined total of £8.7 million.

The single-owner collection of 20th Century Masters saw five works by Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), which had been unseen by the public for the past 50 years, offered at auction for the very first time. The top lot of the sale was Fontana’s Concetto Spaziale, Attese, 1960, which sold for £1,742,000. The 29-lot collection achieved a total of £4,964,000 with 90% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.

Congestion Charge (2004), a rare Vandalized Oils painting by Banksy, from the private collection of the British fashion and design titan, Sir Paul Smith, was the top lot of Bonhams Post-War and Contemporary Art sale, achieving £1,681,000. Sir Paul Smith acquired the work from Banksy’s Santa’s Ghetto exhibition in London in 2004, and it remained in his distinguished collection ever since. The 49-lot sale made a total of £3,755,000 with 86% sold by lot and 99.8% sold by value.

Speaking about the 20th Century Masters sale, Giacomo Balsamo, Bonhams International Director of Post-War & Contemporary Art, commented: “It is a rare privilege to be able to offer such an outstanding group of works by Lucio Fontana from the same exceptional private collection. These included pieces produced in three different media – canvas, paper, and porcelain, and featured stunning examples of Fontana’s ‘Tagli’ (cuts). We are delighted that these works achieved the results they deserved, together with outstanding results for Emilio Vedova, Antoni Tàpies and Georg Baselitz.”

Leonie Grainger, Head of Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary department in London, commented: “We are delighted with the results of our Post-War and Contemporary Art sale and Bonhams’ exceptional sale of 20th Century Masters: A Private Collection – Fontana to Baselitz. Both sales showcased works from prestigious private collections and offered signature fresh-to-market works by renowned artists. From five Fontanas unseen for 50 years, to Paul Smith’s Banksy, it is no wonder collectors from all over the world had their eyes on Bonhams today.”

Other highlights from 20th Century Masters : A Private Collection – Fontana to Baselitz:

·Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale, Attese, 1966. Sold for £825,900.

·Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale, Attese,1960. Sold for £635,400.

·Georg Baselitz (B. 1938), Magentaaufgang, 2005. Sold for £381,400.

·Emilio Vedova (1919-2002), De America-1, 1976. Sold for £356,000.

·Antoni Tàpies (1923-2012), Marró Desplegat, 1974. Sold for £292,500.

Other highlights from Post-War & Contemporary Art included:

·Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), Monica Nude With Matisse (Black Variation #3), 1987/91. Sold for £254,400.

·Ron Gorchov (1930-2020), General, 1980-1981. Sold for £152,800. A new world record for the artist.

·Miriam Cahn (B. 1949), Sportler, 28.7.96, 1996. Sold for £108,350.

·A. R. Penck (1939-2017), Skorpion, 1996. Sold for £102,000.

·Manolo Valdés (B. 1942), Retrato Con Sombrero Sobre Fondo Amarillo, 2011. Sold for £190,900.