LONDON.- Adrian Biddell, Senior Director, Sotheby’s19th Century European Paintings Department, commented: “The focus was on Czech art in our sales of the Cullen collection and 20th Century Art, and the Czech market proved to be in robust health. Across both auctions Czech works drew bids from collectors around the globe, despite Toyen’s Message of the Forest not finding a buyer in the Cullen sale. Jindrich Styrsky’s works in Cullen in particular performed extremely well.”

Tessa Kostrzewa, Head of the 20th Century Art – A Different Perspective sale, commented: “We were delighted that three of the top ten prices in the sale were set by Czech artists, including the star lot, Otakar Kubin’s Cubist Figure, which doubled its estimate. And we attracted a significant level of new buyers – particularly from across Eastern Europe – with strong sell rates across the board: over 80% of lots sold. The spotlight also shone to great effect on rare Egyptian works when a remarkable group by the likes of Younan and El Telmissany drew multiple bids, resulting in prices soaring above their estimates.”

Sotheby’s London auctions on 12 November 2014 of Czech Avant-Garde Art From The Roy & Mary Cullen Collection and 20th Century Art – A Different Perspective attracted international competition, with activity from China, Russia and the Middle East as well as Europe. At the same time, there was pronounced interest from collectors across Eastern Europe and from the Czech Republic in particular. In total, 40% of lots sold in the Cullen sale were bought by clients in the Czech Republic, the majority of whom were new to Sotheby's.

Artist records in the 20th Century Art sale:
Max Dungert, Georg Hartmann, Eduard Stepančič, Lajos von Ebneth, Vitali Zolotoukhin, Ramses Younan, Kamel El Telmissany, Jakub Ciezki, Julia Cybis

Medium records in the 20th Century Art sale:
Adolf Fleischmann work on paper

CZECH AVANT-GARDE ART FROM THE ROY & MARY CULLEN COLLECTION
12 November 2014
TOTAL: £784,219 / $1,248,947
82.8% Sold by Lot

• The sale attracted global interest, with almost one-third of lots sold to buyers new to Sotheby’s

• Buying and bidding from museums and institutions in the UK and US

•‘Crossover’ collectors were active, bidding on the books and periodicals

20TH CENTURY ART – A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
12 November 2014
TOTAL: £1,863,313 / $2,967,512
81.1% Sold By Lot

• Inaugural sale featuring modern art from countries across Europe and around the Mediterranean by artists who have a strong regional following but are not yet part of the international mainstream

• One-fifth of the lots sold bought by buyers new to Sotheby’s