NEW YORK, NY.- Sothebys New York sales of Impressionist & Modern Art concluded today with the white glove auction (100% sold by lot) of unique ceramics and works on paper by Pablo Picasso from the collection of his granddaughter Marina Picasso. That sales stunning $10.3 million total more than doubled its high estimate of $4.6 million, and helped raise Sothebys series total to $223.1 million. Below is a look at the works that drove these exceptional results:
PICASSO MAN & BEAST: WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF MARINA PICASSO
Auction total $10.3 million / £7.9 million
Scott Niichel, Co-Head of Sothebys Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, said: The phenomenal results of todays Picasso Man & Beast auction completed our Impressionist & Modern Art sales for the week, with prices far exceeding their pre-sale estimates and achieving rare white glove status, with all 111 works on offer successfully sold. Collectors from around the globe aggressively competed for the opportunity to own these works on paper and unique ceramics, all featuring Picassos most celebrated styles, genres and subjects. We are grateful to Marina Picasso for again entrusting us with works from her distinguished collection, following the success of Picasso in Private held in Sothebys London in February 2016.
Pablo Picasso, Personnages dans une ville du midi. Watercolor, brush and ink and ink wash on paper. Executed in Cannes on July 23, 1933. Estimate: $30/50,000. Sold for $372,500.
Works on paper were led by the most colorful example in the sale, Personnages dans une ville du midi. The work is a rare and decorative example of Picassos early Surrealist output.
Pablo Picasso, Vase-femme avec un bras-anse. Painted and incised ceramic: vase. Estimate: $40/60,000 Sold for $250,000
Vase-femme avec un bras-anse is a unique and hand-painted form, ranking among the top prices ever achieved for a Picasso ceramic. Picasso took up ceramics in the late-1940s, discovering that working with ceramic and terracotta offered him a new avenue of artistic experimentation and, at the same time, revived his identification with the Mediterranean region and its artistic traditions.
Pablo Picasso, Petit taureau. Modeled and incised clay. Executed on April 6, 1957; this work is unique. Estimate: $30/40,000. Sold for $250,000
Minotaurs, fauns and bulls were symbols of masculinity and virility that Picasso returned to throughout his career. Petit taureau is a rare example of his exploration in clay and set a new auction record for a unique sculpture in this medium.
IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART DAY SALE
Auction Total $39 Million / £30.2 Million
Julian Dawes, Co-Head of Sothebys Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, commented: The results from Wednesdays sale were driven by private collectors from around the world, who sought top-quality works that were fresh to the market. The top lots in the sale demonstrate the breadth of material on offer from a sensual female bronze torse by Astride Maillol, to a dappled Impressionist canvas by Henri Le Sidaner, to a quintessential Marc Chagall painting from 1975. We saw a continuation of several trends observed on Tuesday night, such as strength in sculpture, a robust appetite for works by Diego Giacometti and broad demand for Neo-Impressionist canvases. Additionally, we were privileged to sell three works from the collection of Robert Motherwell and Renate Ponsold Motherwell, including Joan Mirós Sans titre which fetched more than three times its high estimate.
Jean Arp, Entité ailée. Bronze. Conceived in 1961; this example cast in 1970. Estimate: $1/1.5 million. Sold for $1.2 million
Following on the heels of Tuesday evenings record breaking sale of Arps Torse Des Pyrénées, the Day Sale was led by another wonderful example of the artists autonomous figures, Entité Ailée. Arp conceived this work in marble in 1961, one year before the important retrospective of his work in Paris and New York.
Diego Giacometti, La promenade des amis. Bronze. Conceived and cast circa 1976. Estimate: $400/600,000. Sold for $1.1 million
Over the course of three auctions this week in New York and Paris, Sothebys offered and sold 34 works by Diego Giacometti, for a combined total of $14.7 million more than double their overall high estimate of $7.3 million and set a new record for the artist with his Bibliothèque De L'île Saint-Louis, fetching $6.3 million.
Henri le Sidaner, La table villageoise, Gerberoy. Oil on canvas. Painted in 1928. Estimate: $400/600,000. Sold for $1.1 million
Like Monet's home and garden in Giverny, Henri Le Sidaners home in Gerberoy was carefully constructed and arranged to provide endless inspiration and stimulating new subject matter. He paid particular attention to the flower garden in the courtyard, aiming to create harmony between the house and gardens, the outdoor space flowing indoors and vice versa.
Marc Chagall, Le printemps. Oil on canvas. Painted in 1975. Estimate $600/800,000. Sold for $1.1 Million
Painted in 1975, Le Printemps is a whimsical, dream-like composition which includes some of Chagalls most recognizable motifs including the embracing lovers, green donkey and a bouquet of flowers.