Jean-Paul Riopelle, Untitled (1953).
Christie’s French Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales achieved a combined annual total of 96,553,150 this year, the highest realised to date. Led by Jean-Paul Riopelle’s monumental 1953 painting Untitled, December auctions brought in 21,447,000. The Riopelle made 4,882,500,, a new world record at auction for the artist. There were records too for Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s Ville vue d’au-delà du soleil (523,500) and Pierrette Bloch’s Sans titre (12,50 ).
Paul Nyzam, Head of Evening Auction, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s, Paris said: “The outstanding totals for the December season follow the success of our October FIAC auctions, which underlined continued growth with a 110% increase on the equivalent sales from 2016.”