By Carter B. Horsley

This day sale of contemporary art at Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg November 12, 2002 is highlighted by a very bright abstraction by Gerhard Richter (b. 1932), an excellent painting by Larry Rivers (1923-2002), a good sculpture by Frank Stella (b. 1936), a delightful sculpture by Nike de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), a strong portrait by Leon Golub (b. 1922), an interesting abstraction by Sigmar Polke (b. 1941), and a fine photograph by Vik Muniz (b. 1961).

The Richter is Lot 115 and is entitled "Untitled (467-2). An oil on canvas, it measurs 25 5/8 by 31 1/2 inches. Executed in 1981, it has a modest estimate of $180,000 to $220,000 and is particularly vibrant and colorful with a fine sense of motion and depth.

Larry Rivers, who died this year, is represented by Lot 128, "French Money," a 34-by-59 1/2-inch oil on canvas, Executed in 1965, it has a modest estimate of $120,000 to $180,000 and is a an excellent example of the artist's fine compositional skills and painterliness.

Frank Stella's sculptures are extremely colorful and dynamic and Lot 126, "Playskool Gym (First Version)," is a more restrained but also more refined example of his work with mixed media on wood and cast aluminum. The work measures 93 1/4 by 92 3/4 by 40 1/4 inches and was executed in 1982-4. With its gears and hooks, it is a more coherent composition than many of his other, more flamboyant sculptures, but it is also a bit more intriguing. It has a modest estimate of $70,000 to $90,000.

Nikki de Saint Phalle, who also passed away this year, is represented in this auction by Lot 134, "Les Baigneuses," a 107 7/8-by-111 7/8-by-119 5/8-inch polychromed polyester and fiberglass sculpture of a man and woman frolicking on a stone on which a large black spider sits. The amusing and extremely colorful work was executed in an edition of two in 1984 and has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.

Lot 252 is a lively portrait of Chou En-Lai by Leon Golub. The acrylic on linen measures 21 by 19 inches and was executed in 1976. It was in the collection of the Chase Manhattan Bank of New York and has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.

Lot 113, "Untitled," is a small but very strong abstraction by Sigmar Polke. The 15 3/4-by-19 5/8-inch lacquer on untreated cotton cut-out was painted in 1986 and has a conservative estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.

Lot 169 is a very interesting c-print mounted on aluminum, 92 by 70 1/2 inches, by Vik Muniz. Executed in 1998, it is from an edition of nine and has a estimate of $12,000 to $18,000.