By Michele Leight

Blue dominates at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art auction in New York, with Jeff Koons's glistening "Blue Diamond" attracting the attention of and delighting passers by in bustling Rockefeller Center - "No it can't be, yes it is, a gigantic, gaudy blue bauble!" - and Andy Warhol's, stunning goddess of the silver screen, turquoise blue "Liz" turning heads in the galleries.

"Warhol is the new gold standard," said Robert Manley, at a lunch featuring "Liz" from the collection of Hugh Grant and other iconic faces and portraits in a wonderful exhibit, "Faces in Art: Iconic Portraiture" from October 29-31 at Christie's Galleries, Rockefeller Center, in anticipation of the upcoming Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale, among others.

Lot 29, "Liz" is a 40-inch-square synthetic polymer, silkscreen inks and acrylic on linen that Warhol (1928-1987) created in 1963. It has an ambitious estimate of $25,000,000 to $35,000,000. It sold for $23,561,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. The catalogue includes a photograph of the artist at his "Factory" at 231 East 47th Street beside "pink" and "yellow" versions of "Liz."

Andy Warhol painted many portraits of Liz, in all circumstances, the "ups and the downs," even when she was battling death through illness, and was predicted not to survive. This exuberant "Liz" represents a "come back," literally, when Liz did pull through. Warhol typically portrayed Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy - life-long muses of the artist - in periods of crisis and tragedy.

Other "celebrity" Warhols on offer at this sale include "Elvis 2 Times," Lot 40, silkscreen ink and silver paint on linen, 84 by 71 1/2 inches, 1963. It has an estimate of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It sold for $15,721,000.

The sale was very successful with 62 of the 67 offered lots selling for a total of $325,006,000 including the buyers' premiums. The pre-sale estimate without the buyer's premium was $242,750,000 to $338,350,000. Christopher Burge, the auctioneer, described this auction and last week's Impressionist and Modern Art evening auction at Christie's as "remarkable." "We felt fine last week and finer this week," he said, in response to a question at the post-auction news conference about the state of the art market especially in light of the disappointing Impressionist and Modern Art evening auction at Sotheby's (see The City Review article). Of the 62 lots that sold at this auction, 51 sold for more than $1 million each, a statistic that Mr. Burge joyfully described as "not bad." "It was more of the most exciting sales," Mr. Burge said, adding that "the market is absolutely flourishing."

Lot 64 is a Warhol diptych of "Truman Capote," that measures overall 20 by 32 inches. Executed in 1979, it is a synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas. It has an estimate of $700,000 to $1,000,000. It sold for $825,000.

Continuing on a serious note - Warhol's important flip side - "Little Electric Chair," Lot 42, and the terrifyingly graphic "Ambulance Disaster," Lot 60, from his "Death and Disaster Series," echo his now iconic and equally macabre "Green Car Crash," that set a world auction record for the artist in May, 2007 when it sold for a staggering $71,720,000 (see The City Review article). Lot 42 has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $5,641,000. Lot 60 has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $825,000.

Lot 6, "Piney Woods Nurse," is an 80-by-52-inch ink-jet print and acrylic on canvas by Richard Prince (b. 1949). Executed in 2002, it has an estimate of $1,800,000 to $2,200,000. It sold for $6,089,000, more than twice the artist's previous aucton record of $2,840,000 set at Christie's last May.

Lot 27, Coup de Chapeau II" is a striking painted and patinated bronze by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Executed in 1996, it measures 91 by 30 by 13 1/4 inches and is number six of an edition of six. It has an estimate of $1,800,000 to $2,200,000. It sold for $2,841,000.

The big "blue" diamond sculpture by Koons (b. 1955) is Lot 24 and the stainless steel sculpture measures 78 by 87 by 87 inches. It was executed from 1994 to 2005 and has an "estimate on request." The catalogue entry for the lot notes that it "takes bling bling to crazy and cartoonish new levels" and is part of the artist's Celebration series. It has an "estimate on request" and sold for $11,801,000 to Larry Gagosian, a new auction record for Koons. The previous record for Koons was $5,615,750 set at Sotheby's in New York May 15, 2001.

Lot 8 is ""Bloodline Series: Mother with Three Sons (The Family Portrait)," by Zhang Xiagang (b. 1958). An oil on canvas, it measures 58 3/4 by 70 3/4 inches and was painted in 1993. It has an estimate of $1,800,000 to $2,200,000. It sold for $3,961,000, well over his previous auction record of $3,065,000 set at Sotheby's September 20, 2007.

The catalogue states that this painting "is a rare and exceptional work inlcuing one of the earliest treametns of the Bloodlines imagery and them" "Inspired by aging family photographs taken during the Cultural Revolution (1866-1976), the figures are based directly on images of Zhang's own mother and his childhood friends. Unlike the more stylized later works, here signs of individuality are retained with such idiosyncratic details as the slightly wayward pupil or the unruly cowlick. Zhang had originally intended to paint the work only in black and white, but decided instead to add the surrealistic pink and yellow hues of the flesh. Zhang has said that his favoirte natural colors have always been the colors of roses, and that he altered the figures' skin tones to signal their purity ofs pirit and character. Zhang further adds a humble faux-bamboo frame long the edge of the canvas, along with the musical notation for a popular song he enjoyed while painting the work."

Continuing the portrait theme was "Ib and Her Husband," Lot 9, by Lucien Freud (b. 1922), oil on canvas, 66 1/4 by 57 1/4 inches. Executed in 1992, it has an "estimate upon request" and is a moving, intimate view of the artist's daughter Isabel and her partner. It sold for !9,361,000, nicely above his previous auction record of $15,533,596 set at Christie's in London last June.

Lot 49, "Fait d'Hiver," is a large 1988 porcelain by Jeff Koons (b. 1955). It measures 19 1/2 by 63 by 31 1/2 inches and is an artist's proof from an edition of three plus one artist's proof. The work was part of the artist's famous Banality series. It has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,297,000.

Lot 26, "Sugar Ray Robinson," by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) is an animated work in high octane colors, depicting the legendary athlete in orange silk "boxer" shorts, now a staple of the male wardrobe, although few examples would be quite so dazzling. The lot has an estimate of $6,000,000 to $8,000,000. It sold for $7,321,000.

Lichtenstein's "Coup de Chapeu II" is shown above in an earlier installation with Donald Judd's wall-climbing "Untitled, 1979, (79-40 Bernstein)," Lot 32, 10 units of galvanized iron and transparent red plexiglass. Lot 32 was executed in 1979 and has an estimate of $7,000,000 to $9,000,000. It failed to sell.

Changing lanes, the auction has several works by Mark Rothko (1903-1970). Lot 12 is a fabulous abstraction entitled "Untitled (Red, Blue, Orange)." An oil on canvas, it measures 66 5/8 by 49 3/8 inches and was painted in 1955. It has an estimate of $20,000,000 to $30,000,000. It sold for $34,201,000.

Another major Rothko, Lot 36, "No. 7 (Dark over Light)," has the same estimate. An oil on canvas, it measures 90 1/4 by 58 3/4 inches and was painted in 1954. It sold for $21,041,000. Smaller and cooler is Lot 18, "Green, Blue, Green on Blue," a 1968 acrylic on paper laid down on canvas that measures 40 1/2 by 26 12 inches. It has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. It sold for $6,089,000, a world auction record for a work on paper by Rothko. The previous record was $408,000 set at Sotheby's in New York May 10, 2005.

Lot 43 is a luscious oil on canvas by Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) entitled "Untitled XXIII." It measures 70 by 80 inches and was painted in 1977. It has an estimate of $16,000,000 to $19,000,000 and was once in the collection of Adriana and Robert Mnuchin. It sold for $19,921,000. Another smaller de Kooning, "Untitled XVII," Lot 19, also painted in 1977, is estimated at $7,000,000 to $9,000,000. It measures 60 by 54 1/4 inches. It sold for $19,361,000.

Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) is represented in the auction with several works, the most dramatic of which is Lot 16, "Dusenjager," from his "Military Aircraft Series" of 1963-4. An oil on canvas, it measures and has an estimate of $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. It sold for $11,241,000 setting a new auction record for Richter whose previous auction record was $6,200,000 set at Christie's last May.

Lot 22 "Abstraktes Bild, (559-2)," is a dark and dramatic 1984 abstraction by Richter. An oil on canvas, it measures 78 3/4 by 118 inches and has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,969,000. Another Richter abstraction, Lot 10, was painted in 1986 and has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. It sold for $3,849,000.

Lot 34, "Atlantic Side," is a strong abstraction by Joan Mitchell (1025-1992). An oil on canvas, it measures 87 by 84 inches and was painted in 1960. It has an estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It sold for $5,081,000.

Lot 38 is a very strong, untitled abstraction by Jasper Johns (b. 1930). The oil on joined canvas and wood slats and hinges measures 73 3/4 by 100 inches and was executed 1965-7. It has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,857,000.

Lot 17 is a bold and beautiful abstraction by Lee Krasner (1908-1984) entitled "Thaw." An oil on canvas, it measures 57 by 58 1/4 inches and was painted in 1957. It has an estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $1,105,000.

Lot 28 is a strong and eerily prophetic oil and graphite on canvas by Ed Ruscha (b. 1937), entitled "Burning Gas Station." It measures 20 1/2 by 39 inches and was painted in 1965-6. It has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $6,985,000, a new auction record that far surpassed the artist's prior record of $3,591,500 set at Christie's May 11, 2004.

For those who are considering purchasing the Koons, there are two accessories that must accompany it. First, a gigantic crane so that it can be moved around, and second, barrels of car polish, which these two gentlemen lovingly applied with soft rags, taking great care to remove their shoes in frigid temperatures. They had many interested onlookers.

When asked how often the gigantic blue rock had to be cleaned they replied "once a week."