Lot
17, "Untitled," by Cy Twombly, oil-based house paint, oil paint, wax
crayon and lead pencil on canvas, 58 1/8 by 77 1/8 inches, 1971
Lot
17 is a magnificent and great, untitled abstract painting by Cy Twombly
(1928-2011) that was painted in 1971 and measures 58 1/8 by 77 1/8
inches. It is oil-based house paint, oil paint, wax crayon
and
lead pencil on canvas.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"Charged
with visceral energy, a deluge of hurried lines hurtles across the
canvas in fluent diagonal striations intersecting and overlapping with
a series of crescent-shaped figures that follow a graduated trajectory
from left toright. These arched fiugures seem to simulatneously swell
even as they disintegrate in a downpour of muscular strokes - blues,
purples, whites that obliterate the progress. With a gestural
force of rare keeness, Twombly's cursive lines convey an explosion of
efferversence, a sense of atmospheric intoxicaton that would have been
palpable to the artist in the environs of Rome."
The entry
reproduces two very kindred and marvelous paintings: "Enclosed wheat
field in rain" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and "Untitled (Rome)"
with the Cy Twombly Foundation.
The lot has an estimate on request. It sold for $17,525,000.
Lot 15, "Concerto spaziale, La
fine di Dio," by Lucio Fontana, oil on shaped canvas, 70 by 48 1/2
inches, 1964.
Lot
15 is a large oil on shaped canvas by Lucio Fontana (1899-1968)
entitled "Concerto spaziale, La fine di Dio." It measures 70
by
48 1/2 inches and was painted in 1964. It has an estimate of
request. It
sold for
$29,173,000, a world auction record for the artist, surpassing the
previous record of $24,665,010 set October 15, 2015 at Sotheby's in
London.
The catalogue entry provided the following commentary about this series
by the artist:
"The
avant-garde series, of which the preent vivid yellow work is an
striking exemplar, consists of large, sumptuous, viscerally pierced
'eggs' which Fontana painstakingly oil-painted in seductive, bold
monochromes. The ovoid masterpieces communicate scientific
and
religious principles aestherically in a Neo-Modernist fashion....To
Fontana these epiphanic apertures didn't only violate the picture
plane; they were also a portal inviting the viewer to access a new
conception of space befitting the age of astronauts, when technological
adances were tearing apart long-held visions of the universe."
Lot 6, "Blood Wedding," by
Richard Pousette-Dart, oil on canvas, a diptych measuring
overall 77 by 112 3/4 inches, 1958
As
opposed to Fontana's monochromism, the sumptuous Lot 6, "Blood
Wedding," by Richard Pousette-Dart (1916-1992) is explosively colorful.
It was painted over a period of seven years and is part of
his
"Gothic" series that referenced stained-glass windows. The
oil on
canvas is a diptych that measures overall 77 by 112 3/4 inches.
It was painted in 1958. It has been widely exhibited and
published and is from the Arthur and Anika Kahn Collection.
It
has a modest estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It
sold for $2,629,000, a world auction record for the artist, surpassing
the previous record of $722,500 set at Christie's New York November 15,
2012.
Lot 18, "Cote Chipote,"
by Jean Dubuffet, oil on canvas, 44 by 57 1/2 inches, 1961
Another
work bursting riotously with color is Lot 18, "Cote Chipote," an oil on
canvas by Jean Dubuffet (1910-1985). It measures 44 by 57 1/2
inches and was painted in 1961. The catalogue entry contains
the
following quotation from the artist that probably explains everything:
"There
is no art without intoxication., but a mean a mad
intoxication.
Let reason teeter. Delirium! The highest
degree of
delirium! Plunged into burning dementia! Art is the
most
enrapturing orgy within man's reach. Art must make you laugh
a
tlittle and make yhou a little afraid. Anything as long as it
doesn't bore!"
Thelot has an estimate of
$9,000,000 to $12,000,000. It
failed to sell and was passed at $7,500,000.
Lot 20, "Four Marilyns," by Andy
Warhol, acrylic, silkscreen ink and graphite on canvasw, 29 3/8 by 21
3/4 inches, 1962
Lot
20 is an acrylic, silkscreen ink and graphite on canvas by Andy Warhol
with four images of the face of Marilyn Monroe. It measuires
29
3/8 by 21 3/4 inches. It was painted in 1962. It
was sold
for $38.2 million at Phillips in New York in 2013 and was
bought
by Kemal Has Cingillioglu about 8 months ago for about $44 million from
Mikhail Fridman. A November 11, 2015 article in The New York Times
by Scott Reyburn and Robin Pogrebin said that it has an estimate at
this auction of $40,000,000 to $60,00,000 and sold to an Asian bidder
for $36,000,000. "As the seller would have been guaranteed a
premium-inclusive sum in the region of $44 million to $45 million,"
the article continued, "the auction house took a loss of
about $8
million."
Guarantees at auction
are extremely controversial.
Lot
23 "Self-Portrait (Nine times)," by Andy Warhol, acrylic and silkscreen
inks on nine attached canvases, overall 24 inches square, 1967
Lot
23 is another multiple portrait by Warhol, this time a self-portrait
repeated 9 times in different colors. The overall measurement
is
24 inches square. The acrylic and silkscreen inks work was
painted in 1967. It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to
$10,000,000.
It failed to sell and was passed at $6,500,000.
Lot
66, "Night Birds," by Lee Krasner, oil on canvas, 71 3/4 by 142 3/4,
1962
Lot
66 is a large oil on canvas by Lee Krasner (1908-1984) entitled "Night
Birds." It measures 71 3/4 by 142 3/4 inches and was painted
in
1962. It was included in the artist's retrospective show at
the
Whitney Museum of American Art in 1974. It has an estimate of
$2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It
sold for $1,925,000.
Lot 47, "Untitled," by
Julie Mehretu, diptych, acrylic, ink and graphite on canvas, each 72 by
96 inches, 2001
Lot
47 is a large and impressive untitled diptych by Julie Mehretu (b.
1970). Each panel measures 72 by 96 inches and they were
painted
in 2001. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,285,000.
Lot 29, Two Studies for
Portrait," by Francis Bacon, diptych, oil on canvas, each 14 by 12
inches, 1976
Lot
29 is an impressive small diptych by Francis Bacon (1909-1992) entitled
"Two Studies for Portrait." Each oil on canvas panel measures
14
by 12 inches and they were painted in 1976. The lot has an
estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It was
withdrawn.
Lot
12, "Interior with Yves Klein Sculpture," by Roy Lichtenstein, oil and
Magna on canvas, 120 by 170 inches, 1991
Lot
12 is a large oil and Magna on canvas by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
entitled "Interior with Yves Klein Sculpture." It measures
120 by
170 inches and was painted in 1991. It was included in the
artist's retrospective exhibition at theS Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
in New York in 1993. It has an estimate of $7,000,000 to
$10,000,000. It
sold for $6,610,000.
Lot
51, "Untitled (Gray Painting with Spoon)," by Jasper Johns, encaustic
on canvas with ruler, magnet and spoon, 26 1/8 by 20 1/4 inches, 1962
Lot
51 is an encaustic on canvas with ruler, magnet and spoon by Jasper
Johns (b. 1930) that is entitled "Untitled (Gray Painting with Spoon)."
It measures 26 1/8 by 20 1/4 inches and was painted in 1962.
It has an estimate of $7,000,000 to $9,000,000. It failed to sell and
was passed at $6,800,000.
Lot
10, "Spider," by Louise Bourgeois, bronze, 128 by 298 by 278 inches,
number three from an edition of six with one artist's proof and one
unique bronze variant and one unique sculpture in steel
Lot
10 is a very large bronze spider by Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) that
measures 128 by 298 by 278 inches. It is number three from an
edition of six with one artist's proof, one unique bronze variant, and
one unique sculpture in steel. It has an estimate on request.
It sold for
$28,165,000, an auction record for the artist and an
impressive figure for one of eight copies. It
sold at Christie's
New York November 8, 2011 for $10,722,500.
Lot 3, "Agricola XIII," by David
Smith, steel and stainless steel, 43 inches long, 1953
Lot 3 is an excellent steel and
stainless steel sculpture by David Smith (1906-1965) that is entitled
"Agricola XIII." It is 43 inches long and was created in
1953. It has been widely published and exhibited. It has a
modest estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It sold for $5,765,000.
Lot 8, "Tanktotem VIII," by
David Smith, painted steel, 79 inches high, 1960
Another Smith sculpture is Lot
8, "Tanktotem VIII," a painted steel work that is 79 inches high and
was created in 1960. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to
$3,000,000. It
sold for $4,869,000.
Lot 2, "Stabile with mobile
element," by Alexander Calder, sheet metal, string and paint, 24 inches
high, 1940
Lot 2 is an excellent
sculpture by Alexander Calder (1898-1976) that is entitled "Stabile
with mobile element." It is 24 inches high and was created in
1940. It is from the Arthur and Anita Kahn Collection. It has a modest
estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $4,085,000.
Lot 7. "Demi Gondola," by
Alexander Calder, mobile, 61 inches long, 1951
Another
Calder work from the Kahn Collection is Lot 7, "Demi Gondola," a
61-inch-long mobile that the artist created in 1951. It has
an estimate of $1,800,000 to $2,500,000. It sold for $8,005,000.
Lot 44, "Balloon Swan (Yellow),"
by Jeff Koons, mirror-polished stainless steel with translucent color
coating, 138 inches high, 2004-2011, one of five versions
Lot
44, "Ballon Swan (Yellow) is a mirror-polished staintless steel
sculpture with translucent color coating by Jeff Koons (b. 1955).
It is 138 inches high and was executed between 2004 and 2011.
There are four other versions that are in magenta, blue,
violet and red. It has been widely published. It has an
estimate of $15,000,000 to $25,000,000. It sold for $14,725,000.
World auction records were also set at the auction for Claes Oldenburg, Mario Schifano, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Joe Bradley.
