PARIS.- Christie's concluded a season of important auctions, anchored around recent artistic events. In September Christie’s Paris debuted the celebrations of the centenary of the Surrealist manifesto with thesale of the Collection Paul et Jacqueline Duchein , which was followed in early October by the Super Surrealist sale dedicated to the artist Clovis Trouille. The house continued to offer exceptional Art of the Surreal during its flagship auctions of 20/21 Century Art this week during Art Basel, Paris. With a strong total of €90.6M |$98.7M, Christie's consolidated its position as a key player in the contemporary and surrealist art market.
"From tribute sales of Surrealism held at the end of September to modern and contemporary art sales this week, Christie’s has achieved strong results thanks to the offering of major collections as well as rare and important works of art". - Cécile Verdier, President of Christie’s France
The 20th and 21st century art sales on 18 and 19 October generated a total of €79.2M | $86M, with 91% of lots sold and 98% by value. The auctions were well attended with many international bidders present in the room throughout.
On 17 October, the auction of the Danute and Alain Mallart Collection realised €13.6m | $14.8m, with 87% of lots sold and 50% of them exceeding their high pre-sale estimate. This collection, built over more than 30 years, included works by renowned contemporary artists such as Marlène Dumas, whose Feathered Sofa sold for €1,673,500. Works by Yayoi Kusama and Niki de Saint Phalle, were also highly sought-after, as well as El Anatsui, whose Baby's Bedsheet sold for €819,000. The collection also included important design pieces such as a floor lamp by Jean-Michel Frank, which sold for €617,400, tripling its low pre-sale estimate.
The Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian auction was sold 98% by lot, and 15 works sold above €1 million. French auction records were set for major artists such as Zao Wou-Ki, Piero Manzoni, Jean Fautrier and Fernando Botero. The evening's centrepiece, 24.05.65 by Zao Wou-Ki, sold for €4,396,000, while Joan Mitchell and Nicolas de Staël also achieved strong results. The Thinking Italian section, with a sales rate of 100%, confirmed its success for the third year running in Paris, and was led by Lucio Fontana's Concetto Spaziale, Attese selling for €3,670,000.
Christie's 20/21 Century Art - Day Sale, offered works by the great artists of Modern and Contemporary Art at more accessible prices. The auction totaled €14.7m | $16m, with 91% of lots sold and more than 50% of lots exceeding their high pre-sale estimates. Félix Vallotton's Les Grands Arbres, sold for €504,000, particularly resonating with the 150th anniversary of the Impressionist movement. Vallotton's Portrait de femme drapée de rouge, was sold for €554,400, and Suzanne Valadon's La joie de vivre, realised €302,400, both works evoked also the spirit of the period and exceeding their respective pre-sale estimates.
As for modern and contemporary art, Kazuo Shiraga's 降魔 (Gouma), highlight of the sale, made a remarkable result of €945,000, almost doubling its high pre-sale estimate. Joan Miró's wooden panel Femmes fetched €151,200, twice its low estimate, while Anselm Kiefer's Melancholia sold for €277,200, more than three times its high estimate and a work by Joseph Albers realised €378,000, doubling its low estimate.
Christie's gave its support to “L'Imprimerie d'Art de Montparnasse” an exceptional project to support contemporary art by selling twelve works generously donated by major artists, including Paul McCarthy, David Lynch, William Kentridge and Invader. The funds raised totalled €493,920 and will be donated to the “L'Imprimerie d'Art de Montparnasse” endowment fund, helping to preserve this historic place, offering studios to young artists.
The strong results of this week of sales confirm once more Christie's strong position in the contemporary and modern art market in France, attracting international bidders and buyers for works of exceptional provenance and unrivalled quality.
