Record-breaking “Haystacks” painting by Claude Monet leads Sotheby’s $350 million evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art.
August Uribe, Sotheby’s Head of Impressionist & Modern Art in New York, commented: “It was a fantastic night for classic Impressionist art, highlighted of course by the extraordinary work by Claude Monet that made auction history both for the artist and for any Impressionist work of art. One of the most recognizable images in art history, Monet’s “Haystacks” series has long served as an inspiration to countless artists since its creation in the early 1890s. It was a true honor to present “Meules” among a remarkable group of Impressionist pictures emerging from the same distinguished private collection — one of several important collections offered tonight that propelled our results.”
“Tonight we saw a great depth of impassioned bidding from around the globe, fueled by works long-cherished in private collections,” said Helena Newman, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Impressionist & Modern Art. “Nearly two-thirds of the lots offered tonight had never before appeared at auction, and the market responded enthusiastically . . . With the record-breaking Monet leading the charge, the Impressionist and Modern market is as strong as it has ever been in my more than 30 years in this business.”
Julian Dawes, Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sales in New York, commented: “Picasso dedicated an entire month in 1962 to painting ‘Femme au chien,’ a portrait of his new wife, Jacqueline, and his beloved Afghan hound — a sign that the work was of great personal value to him. The spectacular canvas demonstrates the artist’s full creative force in the later years of his life, and tonight the market affirmed that the greatest works produced in the 1960s are considered equal to the finest created throughout his career. From a fantastic work on paper from 1906 to our two 1960s canvases, Picasso proved a driving force throughout our sale tonight and reaffirmed the enduring strength of his market.”
“Meules” led a group of eight outstanding Impressionist works on offer from an important private collection, all of which were sold for a combined total of $129.5 million. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the collection will significantly benefit two world-renowned, not-for-profit institutions in the fields of science and music.
For information on upcoming fine art auctions, please visit www.sothebys.com.
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