Art/Auctions/Impressionists & Modern Art at Sotheby's New York, November 14, 2016

Lot 12, "Pikene pa broen (Girls on the Bridge)," by Edvard Munch, oil on canvas, 39 3/4 by 40 3/8 inches, 1902

By Carter B. Horsley

The evening auction of Impressionist & Modern Art November 14, 2016 at Sotheby's New York is highlighted by an important paintings by Edvard Munch, Ludwig Kirchner, and Maurice Vlaminck and very good works by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, Lyonel Feineger and Pablo Picasso.

Lot 12, "Pikene pa broen (Girls on the Bridge)," is a strong oil on canvas by Edvard Munch (1863-1944). It measures 39 3/4 by 40 3/8 inches and was painted in 1902. It is one of a dozen versions of the subject of which 10 are in public collections. It was formerly in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Norton Simon of Los Angeles and the Wendell & Dorothy Cherry Collection. The painting has been widely exhibited. It was sold at Sotheby's in New York November 12, 1996 and again May 7, 2008 and set records for the artist both times. It has an "estimate upon request." It sold for $54,487,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. There was one bid from the person who had guaranteed the lot. The auction record for Munch was set in 2012 when "The Scream" sold for $119 million, then the highest auction price in history (see The City Review article.) This lot was one of three works in the auction with a "guarantee."

The total for the auction, which was conducted by Helena Newman who was the first woman to run an a major evening auction in New York, was $157.7 million with 8 of the 42 offered lots not selling. The pre-sale low estimate was $142.8 million.

Lot 17, "Young Woman on the Veranda," by Edvard Munch, oil on canvas, 35 1/2 by 26 1/2 inches, 1924

Lot 17 is a nice oil on canvas of a "Young Woman on the Veranda" by Edvard Munch. It measures 35 1/2 by 26 1/2 inches and was painted in 1924. It has an estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It sold for $2,532,500.

Lot 26, "Le Verger," by Maurice De Vlaminck, oil on canvas, 23 5/8 by 28 7/8 inches, 1906

Lot 28 is a great Fauvist landscape by Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958) entitled "Le Verger." An oil on canvas, it measures 23 5/8 by 28 7/8 inches and was painted in 1906. It was exhibited in 2008 at the Musee de Luxembourg in Paris. It has an estimate of $7,000,000 to $10,000,000. It sold for $7,550,000.

Lot 5, "EM 1 Telephonbild," by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, porcelain enamel on steel, 37 1/2 by 23 14 inches, 1923

Lot 5, "EM 1 Telephonbild," is a masterpiece by Laszlo Moholy -Nagy (1895-1946). A porcelain enamel on steel, it measures 37 1/2 by 23 1/4 inches and was painted in 1923. It has been exhibited at the The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Modern in London and the Art Institute in Chicago. It has a modest estimate of $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. It sold to the Modern Museum in New York for $6,087,500.

Lot 20, "CH.P Space Modulator or Iridescent Space Modulator," by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, oil and incised lines on Plexiglass, 35 1/4 by 24 inches, 1940

Lot 20 is a large and striking work by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) entitled "CH.P Space Modulator, or Iridescent Space Modulator." It is an oil an incised lines on Plexiglass and measuires 35 1/4 by 24 inches. It was executed in 1940.

The catalogue entry provided the following commentary:

"For Moholy-Nagy, the lustrous properties of Plexiglass presented new possibilities for photo-experimentation. Using the exposed surface of this hardened material, he could create "light paintings," whereby the reflection and refraction of light colored and toned the plastic, creating the lustrous we see in the present composition."

The work was included in the exhibition about the artist this year at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Los Angeles County Museum.

The lot has an estimate of $700,000 to $1,000,000. It sold for $792,00,

Lot 22, "Le Peintre et son modele," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 51 by 63 3/4 inches, 1964

Lot 22 is a very good oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso entitled "Le Peintre et son modele." It measures 51 by 63 3/4 inches and was painted in 1964. It has an estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It sold for $12,906,000.

Lot 35, "Dance Between The Women II," by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil on canvas, 59 by 59 1/4 inches, painted in 1919 and 1926

Lot 35, "Dance Between The Women II," is a strong work by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) that is an oil on canvas that measures 59 by 59 1/4 inches. It was painted in 1919 and 1926. It is simplified version of a much frenetic and more painterly version in the Pinakothek in Munich. It has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. It was withdrdawn.

Lot 34, "Nude in Mirror with Self-Portrait," by Otto Mueller, distemper on burlap, 37 7/8 by 28 3/4 inches, circa 1922

Lot 34 is a bold "Nude in Mirror with Self-Portrait with Self-Portrait" by Otto Mueller (1874-1930). A distemper on burlap, it measures 37 7/8 by 28 3/4 inches and was painted circa 1922. It has an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $1,452,500.

Lot 4, "La Forme de Bleu," by Frantisek Kupka, oil on canvas, 28 3/4 by 23 1/2 inches, 1924

Lot 4 is a good abstract oil on canvas by Frantisek Kupka (1871-1957) that is entitled "La Forme de Bleu." It measures 28 3/4 by 23 1/2 inches and was painted in 1924. It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. It sold for $2,172,500.

Lot 21, "Side-Wheel Steamer at the Landing," by Lyonel Feininger, oil on canvas, 15 7/8 by 19 1/8 inches, 1912

Lot 21 is a fine, small oil on canvas by Lyonel Feininger entitled "Side-Wheel Steamer at the Landing." It measures 15 7/8 by 19 1/8 inches and was painted in 1912. It was illustrated in Hans Hess's book on the artist in 1961 and in the exhibition catalogue on the artist at Whitney Museum of American Art in 2011. The lot has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,456,250.

Lot 8, "Vase aux glaieuls," by Vincent van Gogh, oil on board laid down on canvas, 20 1/8 by 15 3/8 inches, 1886

Lot 8 is a floral oil on board laid down on canvas by Vincent van Gogh. It measures 20 1/8 by 15 3/8 inches and was painted in 1886. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $5,862,500.

Lot 15, "Fillette a la chevelure," by Amedeo Modigliani, oil on paper laid down on cradled panel, 16 3/4 by 12 3/4 inches, 1915

Lot 15, "Fillette a la chevelure," is an oil on paper laid down on cradled panel by Amedeo Modigiliani (1884-1920). It measues 16 3/4 by 12 3/4 inches and was painted in 1915. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $3,132,500.

Lot 37, "Le Rouquin," by Chaim Soutine, oil on canvas, 31 3/4 by 21 3/8 inches, 1919

Lot 37 is a very Modiglianiesque portrait of "Le Rouquin" by Chaim Soutine (1893-1943). An oil on canvas, it measures 31 3/4 by 21 3 inches. It was painted in 1919. It has an estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It sold for $3,875,500.

Lot 18, "Femme en bleu a table, fond rouge," by Henri Matisse, oil on canvas, 24 by 15 1/8 inches, 1923

Lot 18 is an oil on canvas by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) that is entitled "Femme en bleu at table, fond rouge." It measures 24 by 15 1/8 inches and was painted in 1923. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It was passed at $4,200,000.

Lot 2, Untitled, by Diego Rivera, oil on canvas, 21 5/8 by 18 1/4 inches, circa 1916

Lot 2 is a fine and delicate untitled still Cubist still life by Diego Rivera 1886-1957. An oil on canvas, it measures 21 5/8 by 18 1/4 inches and was painted circa 1916. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $912,500.

Lot 33, "Still Life," by Marc Chagall, oil on burlap, 24 3/4 by 19 3/4 inches, 1911

Lot 33 is a very strong but simple still life by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) that is an oil on burlap and was painted in 1911. It measures 24 3/4 by 19 3/4 inches. It was once in the collection of J. Irwin amd Xenia A. Miller of Columbus, Ind. It has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,737,500.

Lot 30, "Saint Tropez, effet de soleil," by Francis Picabia, oil on canvas, 32 1/2 by 39 1/2 inches, 1909

Lot 30, "Saint Tropez, effet de soleil," is an oil on canvas by Francis Picabia (1879-1953), the subject of a current major exhibition the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It measures 32 1/2 by 39 1/2 inches and was painted in 1909. It has an estimate of $1,200,000 to $1,800,000. It sold for $1,632,500.

Lot 32, "Baigneuse," by Jacques Lipchuitz, bronze, 35 inches high, numbered 5/7 and conceived in 1917

Lot 32 is a very strong bronze sculpture of a bather by Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) that is 35 inches high and numbered 6/7. It was conceived in 1917. It has been widely published. It has an estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $972,500.

See The City Review article on the Fall 2016 auction at Christie's New York of Impressionist & Modern Art
See The City Review article on the Spring 2016 auction at Sotheby's New York of Impressionist & Modern Art

See The City Review article on the Sotheby's evening auction May 10, 2000 of Impressionist & Modern Art

See The City Review article on the May 11, 2000 auction at Sotheby's of Impressionist & Modern Art, Part 2

See The City Review article on the Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Auction, Part I, Nov. 11, 1999

See The City Review article on Part Two of the Sotheby's auction November 11, 1999 of Impressionist & Modern Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 8, 1999 evening sale of Impressionist & Post Impressionist Art

See The City Review article on the morning auction Nov. 9, 1999 of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art at Christie's

See The City Review article on the afternoon auction Nov. 9, 1999 of Impressionist and Twentieth Century Works on Paper at Christie's

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 9, 1999 evening auction of Twentieth Century Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 10, 1999 day auction of Twentieth Century Art

See The City Review analysis of Part 1 of the Sotheby's auction May 11, 1999 of Impressionist and Modern Art

See The City Review analysis of Part 2 of the Sotheby's May 12, 1999 auction of Impressionist and Modern Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's May 12, 1999 auction of Impressionist Art and 19th Century Art

See The City Review of the Christie's May 13, 1999 auction of 20th Century and Modern Art

Recap of the Spring 1998 Impressionist and Modern Auctions

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