Art/Auctions: Contemporary Art evening auction at Christie's New York, November 17, 2016

Contemporary Art Evening Auction

Christie's New York

6:30 PM, May 17, 2017

Sale 14187

Bacon triptych 38

Lot 38, "Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer," by Francis Bacon, oil on canvas, each 14 by 12 inches, 1963

By Carter B. Horsley

The May 17, 2017 Contemporary Art Evening Auction at Christie's New York is highlighted by several fine works by Bacon, Warhol, Twombly, Basquiat, Dubuffet, Lichtenstein, Grotjahn, Dubuffet, Cattalan and Noguchi.
The sale total was $448,062,000, with 96 percent sold by lot, the biggest sell-through rate in a decade.

One of the top lots was Lot 38, "Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer" by Francis Bacon (1909-1992)(See The City Review article on a major exhibition in 2008-9 on the artist.) The oils on canvas each measure 14 by 12 inches and were painted in 1963. The lot was once owned by Ronald Dahl of Great Missenden. They have been widely exhibited included at the the artist's Centerary Retrospective at the Tate Britain, the Prado and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2005-6.

Detail of Lot 38

It was the first portrait the artist did of Mr. Dyer, his lover. The lot has an estimate on request. It sold for $51,767,500.

Lot 6, "Leda and the Swan," by Cy Twombly, oil, lead pencil and wax crayon on canvas, 75 1/4 by 78 3/4 inches, 1962

Lot 6, Leda and the Swan," is a large oil, pencil and was crayon on canvas by Cy Twombly (1928-2011). It measures 74 1/8 by 78 3/4 inches and was painted in 1962. The artist painted this subject 6 times in the 1960s and a more cluttered version is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The catalogue remarked that it "comprised a centralized flurry of spontaneous and impulse-driven painterly activity scrawled, scribbled, smeared, splashed and scratched onto a large white canvas directly with his hands." It is one of his better works if only because it begins to mimic the spatial words of Matta, an infinitely greater artist. It has an estimate of $35,000,000 to $55,000,000. It sold for $52,887,500.

Lot 58, ""Big Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable), by Andy Warhol, casein and graphite on linen, 72 by 52 inches, 1962

Lot 58, "Big Campbell's Soup Can with Can Opener (Vegetable)," by Andy Warhol (1928-1987), casein and graphite on linen, 72 by 52 inches, 1962. The painting was once owned by Mr. and Mrs. Burton Tremaine of Meridien and became the first Warhol to be shown at a museum when it was shown at the Wadsworth Atheneim in Hartford in 1962 and in 1987 it became the first Post-War American work to enter the collection of Barney A. Ebsworth. It has been widely exhibited and published. It has an estimate on request. It sold for $27,500,000.

Lot 35, "Untitled (after Sam)," by Rudolf Stingel, oil on canvas, 132 by 180 inches, 2006, left; Lot 37, "Julian," by Urs Fischer, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, pigment, oil, steel and wicks, 100 inches high, 2014, number one from an edition of two plus two artist's proofs, right

Lot 35, "Untitled (After Sam)," is a huge oil on canvas by Rudolf Stingel (b. 1956). It measures 132 by 180 inches and was painted in 2006. At the auction exhibition it was prominently shown in between the staircases. It is one of four very large self-portraits that were exhibited in 2007 in his mid-career retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and then the Whitney Museum of American Art. The artist used photographs taken by Sam Samore, the "After Sam" referenced in the title. The lot has an estimate of $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. It sold for $10,551,500.

Lot 37, "Julian," by Urs Fischer, is a paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, pigment, oil, steel and wicks work that is 100 inches high. It was created in 2014, and is number one from an edition of two plus two artist's proofs. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $3,367,500.

Lot 55, "La Hara," by Jean-Michel Basquiat, acrylic and oilstick on wood panel, 72 by 47 3/4 inches, 1981

Lot 55 is a strong acrylic and oilstick on wood panel by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). It measures 72 by 47 3/4 inches. It has been widely exhibited. It has an estimate of $22,000,000 to $28,000,000. It sold for $34,967,500.

Lot 65, "Elaine," by Jean-Michel Basquiat," acrylic, oilstick and Xerox collage on canvas, 86 by 68 inches, 1985

Another Basquiat is Lot 65, "Elaine," an acrylic, oilstick and Xerox collage on canvas that measures 86 by 68 inches. It was created in 1985. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to
$7,000,000. It sold for $5,959,500.

Lot 60, "Le Truand," by Jean Dubuffet, oil on canvas, 45 1/2 by 35 1/8 inches, 1954

Lot 60 is a fine oil on canvas by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1965) entitled "Le Truand." It measures 45 1/2 by 35 1/8 inches and was painted in 1954. It was owned by Baron Elie Robert de Rothschild and Peter Marino International Ltd. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $5,511,500.

Lot 57, "Red and White Brushstrokes," by Roy Lichtenstein, oil and Magna on canvas, 48 by 68 inches, 1965

Lot 57, "Red and White Brushstrokes" is a good oil and Magna on canvas by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). It has an estimate of $25,000,000 to $35,000,000. It sold for $28,247,500.

Lot 64, "I Refuse to be Invisible," by Nadeka Akunyil Crosby, ink, charcoal, acrylic and transfers on paper, 117 3/4 by 82 inches, 2010

Lot 64 is a good work by Nadeka Akunyil Crosby (b. 1983) entitled "I Refuse to be Invisible." The ink, charcoal, acrylic and transfers on paper work measures 117 3/4 by 82 inches and was created in 2010. It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. It sold for $2,647,500.

Lot 53, "Untitled," by Maurizio Cattalan, resin, paint, human hair, clothing, packing tissue, wood and screws, 92 3/4 inches high, 2007, number 2 from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs

Lot 53 is a strong work by Mauricio Cattalan (b.1960) that is untitled and 92 3/4 inches high. It was created in 2007 and is number 2 from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs. It has been widely exhibited. It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,500,000. It sold for $1,507,500.

Lot 73, "Garden Ornaments," by Isamu Noguchi, Mannan Granite, large element is 102 inches high, 1958

Lot 73 is a pair of "Garden Ornaments" in Mannan granite by Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). The lot has a very modest estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $4,727,500.

Lot 36, "Untitled (S III Released to France Face 43.14)," is a large oil on cardboard mounted on canvas by Mark Grotjahn (b. 1968). It has an estimate of $13,000,000 to $16,000,000. It sold for $16,767,500.

See The City Review article on the Spring 2017 Contemporary Art evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Fall 2016 Contemporary Art evening auction at Christie's New York
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