PARIS.- Christie’s FIAC Week auctions in Paris concluded on Thursday 18 October with a total of €42,983,625/£37,825,590/$49,474,152, the second highest figure for this marquee week. The highlight of this week was Picasso's 1922 Guitare, bouteille et compotier which reached an impressive €3,982,500. World auction records were set for 2 artists including for Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky whose Mur d’oiseaux sold for €1,387,500, nearly four times its presale estimate.

Tudor Davies, Valérie Hess and Paul Nyzam, in charge of the sales: “The strength of the market was proven this week with strong prices achieved and records set for major artists. The international presence we’ve seen in Paris and the appeal of FIAC Week around the globe demonstrates the success of our strategy to make this week a focal point of the calendar.”

The Paris Avant-Garde sale achieved a total of €29,602,250/£26,012,522/$34,258,493 selling 98% by value and 88% by lot, against a presale estimate of €17,850,000. The Impressionist and Modern art section realised €11,431,000, including Fernand Léger's Nature morte which sold for €1,039,500 and Chaïm Soutine's La place de la Liberté à Céret realised €877,500. The Contemporary art section totalled €18,278,000 with a strong price established for Zao Wou Ki's 01.04.1986 which sold for €2,857,000 against a presale estimate of €800,000-1,200,000 and for Pierre Soulages' Peinture 97 x 130cm, 5 juin 1962, sold €2,632,500.

The Impressionist and Modern Art sale which happened on Thursday 18 October realised €10,139,750/£8,907,130/$11,641,620 against a presale estimate of €7,945,800. During the sale, strong prices were achieved for the most celebrated and sought-after impressionist and modern artists including Marc Chagall with Les mariés au bord de la Seine which sold for €1,543,500, James Ensor with Gestes de nymphes sold over estimate for €679,500 and Jeanne Hébuterne with an Autoportrait sold for €247,500 more than four times its presale estimate.

Christie’s FIAC week concluded with the sale of the collection of Bénédicte Pesle which sold 100% of the lots achieving €3,241,625/£2,839,239/$3,710,885, doubling its presale estimate.

The top lot of the sale is Max Ernst Âmes Soeurs which sold for €787,500 doubling its presale estimate, followed by James Bishop which work titled Blue, green, red realised a strong €223,500.

Strong prices were also achieved for Bob Wilson, a close friend of Bénédicte, which chair used for the Einstein on the Beach Opera sold for €42,500.

RECORDS ACHIEVED THIS WEEK

PIERRE ALECHINSKY (NÉ EN 1927), Mur d'oiseaux. Estimate : €350,000 - 500,000. Sold : €1,387,500.

Previous record for Pierre Alechinsky: Christie's Amsterdam: Monday, April 23, 2018. Soutien de famille (Provider), oil on canvas, 1960. Estimate: 280,000 - 400,000 EUR. Sold: 535,500 EUR.

GEER VAN VELDE (1898-1977), Composition. Estimate: €150,000 - 250,000. Sold: €343,500.

Previous record for Geer van Velde: Cornette de Saint-Cyr: Monday, October 15, 2007. Composition, oil on canvas. Circa 1940. Estimate: 30,000 - 40,000 EUR. Sold: 153,405 EUR.