There were world records for Bonnard and Dali at Christie’s Impressionist and Modern art evening sale and auction of art of the Surreal. The sales made £84,879,800, selling 79% by lot and 84% by value, against a pre-sale estimate of £72,580,000 to £107,060,000.
Purchasers came from 20 different countries with more than 10 clients competing on several lots. The most intense interest was for works released from private collections for the first time. Terrasse à Vernon by Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) realized £7,209,250. It dates from 1923. Works by Derain and Degas also broke the £5 million barrier. The four works offered by the Art Institute of Chicago, by Picasso (2), Braque and Matisse, brought in £10,043,400.
The Art of the Surreal sale realized £22,999,250. The top price was paid for by L’aimant (The Magnet) by René Magritte (1898-1967) which made £4,745,250. Dalí’s Etude pour ‘Le miel est plus doux que le sang’ from 1926-27 made £4,073,250.
(See antiquesandartireland.com post for February 7)