By Carter B. Horsley

Although this auction has works by many famous, established Latin American artists such as Wilfredo Lam (1902-1982) and Diego Rivera, some of the more interesting works are by contemporary artists such as Pablo Atchugarry (b. 1954), Ignacio Iturria (b. 1949), Guillermo Kuitca (b. 1961), Fernando Canovas (b. 1960), Gustavo Lopez Armentia (b. 1949), Romulo Maccio (b. 1931) and Armando Morales (b. 1927).

Lot 56, for example, is a stunning abstract sculpture in pink Portugal marble by Pablo Atchugarry who was born in Uruguay. The 83-inch-high work, whose many folds conjure the wonderful drapery of Classical sculptures of women, was executed this year. It has an estimate of $30,000 to $35,000 and was exhibited in the center of the stairwell at Christie's prior to the auction. It sold for $101,575.

The Uruguayan artist Ignacio Iturria creates dark scenes that are filled with mystery and whimsy. Lot 108, "Cuatro hilera con un avion," is a good example of his work. It is an oil on canvas that measures 39 by 32 inches. It was executed circa 1995. It has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $11,950.

A more painterly work by Iturria is Lot 111, "Escolares en el tostador," an oil on canvas that measures 52 by 38 inches. Executed circa 1997, it has an estimate of $18,000 to $22,000 and has a fascinating surface. It failed to sell.

Some of the younger artists in this auction have developed a surface technique employing sand that is reminiscent of much of Rufino Tamayo's. Lot 135, "Sin titulo," is a stunning abstraction by Fernando Canovas. An acrylic and sand on canvas, it measures 78 1/4 inches square and was executed in 1998. It has an estimate of $18,000 to $20,000. It sold for $14,340.

Lot 121, "Todo un pasado," by Argentinian artist Gustavo Lopez Armentia, does not use sand but has a wonderful topographical texture and sensibility. An oil on canvas that measures 75 1/4 inches square, it was executed in 1992. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $25,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 154, "Untitled (blue plan with candles)," is a very striking abstraction in the vein of Irene Rice Pereira by Argentinian artist Guillermo Kuitca. An acrylic on canvas, it measures 73 1/2 by 36 1/4 inches. It was executed in 1991 and has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $71,700.

Lot 120, "Las apariencias engañan," is a very large and colorful work by Argentinian artist Romulo Maccio. An acrylic on canvas, it measures 63 5/8 by 51 inches and was executed in 1965. It has an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $31,070. Another similar work by him, Lot 119, "Destrado," had an estimate of $12,000 to $15,000 and sold for $45,410.

One of the more intriguing works in the auction is Lot 58, "The Nightwatch of Dr. Kauffman," by Benjamin Cañas (1933-1987), a Salvadorian artist. An oil on wood panel that measures 48 by 72 inches, it was executed in 1976. The striking and eerie composition has an estimate of $80,000 to $100,000. It failed to sell.

The cover illustration of the catalogue is Lot 15, "San title (La Pareja)," a fine and impressive gouache on paper by Wilfredo Lam that measures 51 1/8 by 33 inches. Executed in 1935, it has an estimate of $350,000 to $450,000. It sold for $881,000.

The catalogue provides the following commentary on this lot:

"By compositionally adhering themselves to a modern arrangement of form and color, the figures in La Parejo act as a breaking point in the artist's career. Matisse and Picasso are obvious references in Lam's early work. Matisse, a Fauve and admirer of color as the basic tool to create a composition, inspired in Lam the possibility of using thick black brushstrokes to define figures and space. Likewise, Lam adopted and modified colors by using mostly pastels, a trend that lasted until the early 1940s when he returned to Cuba and executed the forest scenes of 1942. Picasso's influence on Lam during this early period was exerted in the conceptual interest to represent the true nature of the 'primitive.' Compositionally, this was translated into a further simplification of form and an added element of the symbolic and the mythical. La Pareja excels as a modern composition through the graceful arrangement of its figures. Moving within space, they accentuate their presence through the massiveness and seminal importance given to the bodies. This masterful composition alludes to the story of Lam and Balbina Barrera, his companion at the time and the woman with whom he discovered the beaches of Andalusia."

A more typical, albiet quite bright, abstraction by Lam is Lot 18, "Charbon de mer." An oil on canvas that measures 25 1/4 by 37 7/8 inches, it was painted in 1945. It has an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. It failed to sell.

The auction has several works by Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991). The best is Lot 35, "Juego de niños (Children's Games)," an oil on canvas that measures 53 1/4 by 76 3/4 inches. It was executed in 1960 and has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $567,500.

Lot 54, "Saltimbanqui," is a good and typical Tamayo. An oil and sand on canvas, it measures 51 by 37 1/4 inches and was executed in 1979. It was consigned by the Los Angeles County Museum to benefit the acquisition of Latin American Art. It has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It sold for $433,100.

The most impressive painting in the auction is Lot 48, "Selva Tropical Decidua (Foret, Tropicale, Décidue)," by Armando Morales. An oil on canvas that measures 51 1/8 by 102 3/8 inches, it was painted in 1992. It has an estimate of $250,000 to $300,000. It failed to sell.

The catalogue entry for this lot provides the following commentary:

"The deep greens and golden browns used in the palette...clearly portray autumn. This coming to an end, the completion of a cycle, may be understood as a metaphor to the political unrest in Nicaragua and the resulting exile of the artist. In the present painting, Morales captures like no other painter the intricate lushness and the striking beauty of the tropics while alluding to nostalgia. The feeling of loss is heartfelt in this golden jungle."

Morales also paints with a more contrasty and more saturated palette and often depicts urban scenes. Lot 104, for example, is entitled "Bañistas y barco rojo" and is oil and beeswax on canvas. It measures 19 3/4 by 28 3/4 inches and was painted in 1986. It has an estimate of $35,000 to $45,000. It sold for $41,825.

Lot 28 is a very colorful work by Fernando Botero. Entitled, "El milago de St. Hilarion (The Miracle of St. Hilarion)," it is an oil on canvas that measures 15 3/4 by 74 3/4 inches. Executed in 1958-9, it has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000. It sold for $175,500.

Lot 46, "Bolsas de papel," is a classic "paper bag" painting by Claudio Bravo (b. 1936). An oil on canvas, it measures 40 by 29 1/4 inches and was executed in 1970. It has an estimate of $250,000 to $300,000. It sold for $276,300.

Lot 60 is a cased pair of flintlock pistols by Nicolas-Noel Boutet that were made circa 1804-6 and belonged to Simon Bolivar. The lot has an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $1,687,500.