
Juan Gris Nature morte à la nappe à carreaux. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.
A still life by Juan Gris (1887-1927) was the top lot at a hugely successful sale at Christie’s in London tonight. Nature morte à la nappe à carreaux, 1915, by Juan Gris (1887-1927) sold for £34,802,500. This was a new world record price for the artist at auction. It had been estimated at £12-18 million. The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale and the auction of The Art of the Surreal realised a combined total of £176,986,000 selling 86% by lot and 95% by value. The auctions had a combined pre-sale estimate of £113.3 million to £162.9 million. In total, 35 works of art sold for over £1 million / 43 for over $1 million, and four artist records were set. As well as Juan Gris there were records for works Carlo Carrà, Le Corbusier and Dorothea Tanning.
Jay Vincze, International Director and Head of The Impressionist and Modern Art Department, Christie’s London: “We are thrilled with tonight?s results, which represent the highest total for a sale held in London in any category. We were particularly pleased with the result of the private Swiss collection which more than doubled its pre-sale estimate with every work sold, and three new world records established. The energy of the sale and the depth of bidding was exceptional, particularly on the top lots, underpinned by both the quality of the works on offer and the global nature of both new and established buyers and bidders.”
Christie’s withdrew a collection of paintings, drawing, sculptures and collages by Miro consigned by the Portuguese Republic because of a legal dispute.
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for January 7, January 14 and January 15 2014).