Bruce Nauman (b 1941) is known best as a sculptor, neon artist, photographer and performance artist, but on June 9 a record price of $776,750 was paid for a Nauman work on paper, “Human Nature,” 1983. Revealing the artist’s early focus on word play and moral dilemmas, the 79½-by-71-inch charcoal, pencil, pastel and watercolor topped Heritage Auction Galleries’ $3.48 million Signature Impressionist, Modern and contemporary art auction.
Including the Nauman, works from the collection of a Fortune 500 company accounted for the top five lots in the auction, and seven of the top ten total.
Helen Frankenthaler’s stormy acrylic on canvas, “Quattrocento,” 1984, came in as the second highest lot in the auction when it brought $346,550, while Richard Diebenkorn’s etching “Green,” 1986, widely regarded as one of the artist’s finest etchings, realized $262,900.
All prices given include the 19½ percent buyer’s premium. A full review of the auction will appear in a future issue. ‼i>AK
