PARIS.- Vid dörren (At the Door) by the Swedish artist Eugene Jansson (1862-1915) sold for 91,840 at
Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr Male Form Sale in Paris yesterday (Thursday 1 June). It tripled its pre-sale estimate of 25,000-35,000.
Bubbles Shower by Pierre et Gilles, a signed, dated and titled hand-painted photograph mounted on aluminium, commissioned in 1997 for Statements magazine sold for 82,950 (estimate: 35,000-45,000). Following successful previous auctions on the same theme held in London and New York, this sale offered a fine selection of paintings, drawings and sculpture celebrating the male form and sale made a total of 649,248.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, collectors cars and a luxury division, which includes jewellery, designer fashion, watches, wine, and whisky. In 2021 and 2022, Bonhams made a number of important acquisitions which form the wider Bonhams network. These include: Bukowskis, Bruun Rasmussen, Bonhams Skinner and Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr.
Other highlights of the sale included:
·Untitled (Roger) by the Finnish artist Tom of Finland (1920-1991). He signed his erotic work Tom and published his first drawings in 1957. Sold for 44,800 (estimate: 20,000-30,000)
·Tête de Colosse by Christophe Charbonnel (French, born 1967) executed in 2000. Sold for 40,960 (estimate: 20,000-25,000)
·Siège / Sculpture modèle "homme" by Ruth Francken (American, 1924-2006) is a black lacquered polyester, resting on a chromed steel base. Sold for 35,840 (estimate: 30,000-40,000)
Anastasia Orfanidou, Bonhams Head of Greek Art, and a member of the sales curatorial team said: We were thrilled by the success of this years sale. With bidders from 30 different countries, and by collaborating across the Bonhams network, we achieved fantastic results for Eugene Jansson, Pierre et Gilles, Tom of Finland, and many other artists.