On May 3 at Sotheby’s, in a packed salesroom, Pablo Picasso’s “Dora Maar au chat,” one of the artist’s most spectacular depictions of his lover and artistic companion, sold to an anonymous buyer for $95,216,000, making it the second most expensive painting ever sold at auction At least four bidders on the telephone competed with a bidder in the room who prevailed after a lengthy and spirited battle. The portrait was included in a sale of Impressionist and Modern art, which brought $207,564,800, the highest total for a sale in this category at Sotheby’s since May 1990. The evening also featured a spectacular painting from Henri Matisse’s celebrated Nice period – “Nu couché vu de dos” – which sold for $18,496,000, a record for the artist at auction. An auction record was also established for Dame Barbara Hepworth, whose monumental sculpture, “Three Obliques (Walk-In),” sold for $1,128,000. A complete review of the sale will appear in a future issue.
09 May 2006 / 0 Comment
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