Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu couché aold for $170,405,000 at Christie’s in New York last night. This is the second highest price for any work of art at auction. It was bought by the Long Museum of China. Roy Lichtenstein’s Nurse made $95,365,000 in a sale which brought in $419,352,000 and got Christie’s November week sales series off to a flying start.
Bidders from 35 countries took part. The auction was 71% sold by lot and 87% by value. Five new artist records were achieved, for Courbet, Balthus, Lichtenstein, Modigliani and Nara, as well as and two new records for sculpture by Gauguin and Kirchner. Paul Gauguin’s Thérèse, 1902-03, sold for $30,965,000 and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Tänzerin mit gehobenem Bein, 1913, sold for $8,005,000,.
Jussi Pylkkänen, Christie’s Global President said: “In recent years we have created very meaningful relationships with collectors in China and we are delighted to confirm that the Long Museum has purchased our top lot of the evening, Modigliani’s ‘Nu couché’’”
The previous record for a Modigliani was achieved by Sotheby’s in New York a year ago when Tete (stone) sold for $70 million. The most expensive painting ever sold at auction was Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger (Version O) which made $179 million at Christie’s in New York in May.
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for October 20 and September 3, 2015)
Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu couché
Roy Lichtenstein – Nurse – sold for $95,365,000
