Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Impressionist & Modern Art saw René Magritte’s portrait of patron Edward James, Le Principe du Plaisir (The Principle of Pleasure) (1937), fetch $26.9 million—a new world auction record for the artist. The portrait of one of the most influential patrons of surrealist art—introduced to Magritte by Salvador Dalí in 1937—well exceeded its highest pre-sale estimate of $20 million, after a bidding battle between seven collectors. Commissioned by James himself, the work...
On 14 November, Sotheby’s will present A Street (1926) and Calla Lillies on Red (1928) by Georgia O’Keeffe in a Contemporary Art Evening Auction for the first time. The stunning Cottonwood Tree in Spring (1943) will also be featured at the American Art Auction, taking place on 16 November. Succeeding the sale of Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic flower painting Jimson Weed/White Flower No.1 (1932), Sotheby’s will again be offering significant works by the modernist artist to...
On 27 February 2019, Christie’s auction house will offer Le Lieu Commun (1964), one of the iconic ‘bowler hat’ Magritte masterpieces. Leading The Art of the Surreal sale, the painting is estimated to fetch between £15-25 million and is expected to set a new world auction record for the artist. This is the first time the work of art—which is considered to be one of the finest and largest examples of René Magritte’s bowler hat...
The Moon of Baroda diamond—famously worn by Maharajas and Marilyn Monroe—will be auctioned by Christie’s on 27 November. In 1953 it was donned by Monroe when she sang the iconic song, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend whilst promoting the Howard Hawks film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Iconic Hollywood royalty, Marilyn Monroe reportedly exclaimed: ‘It’s gorgeous!’ upon setting eyes on the stone—it was the largest diamond she ever wore in her lifetime. A rich history...
Sotheby’s sold a rare Iznik charger (c.1480) for £5.35 million, breaking a record for a piece of Iznik pottery and establishing one of the highest prices for an Islamic work of art. The charger, one of the most important pieces of Ottoman Iznik pottery remaining in private hands, was offered as part of Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World auction in London. Originally estimated to fetch between £300,000-500,000, the exceptional piece drew in considerable interest...
Anonymous street artist Banksy released a video on his official website showing a ‘practice run’ shredding of his famous million-pound Girl With Balloon (2006). Shred the Love (the director’s cut), which was posted on Tuesday 17 October, implies the stunt pulled at the Sotheby’s auction should have ended with the artwork being completely destroyed. In the video, Banksy himself is shown constructing the shredding mechanism. The clip also features recordings from the auction itself—including clips...
A one-of-a-kind gold Ferrari will be offered at a special Sotheby’s auction in October. The car—which is currently estimated to fetch £350,000-400,000—will be offered as a highlight of The Midas Touch, Sotheby’s first-ever auction completely dedicated to gold. Fully restored, the 1977 Ferrari 512 BB is only one of four Ferrari 512 BBs to be painted this shade of gold. The rare vehicle is also the only one to leave the production line with its...
Anonymous street artist and political activist Banksy strikes again. One of his most recognisable paintings, Girl With Balloon (2006), self-destructed immediately after it went under the hammer for an astounding £1.04 million. The artwork was initially estimated to fetch £200,000-300,000. The stunt left auctioneers attending Sotheby’s London’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 5 October 2018 completely speechless. It is still unclear what the ramifications are for the art world, the auction house and the buyer,...
An extremely rare bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 set a new world record when it was sold by Bonhams auctioneers on 3 October. The limited-edition 60-year-old lot fetched an eye-watering £848,750—it had been estimated at £700,000-900,000. Previous to this sale, the world record was set in May 2018 by Bonhams when another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold for £814,081. Pop art labels Macallan commissioned two iconic pop artists—Valerio Adami...
Diamonds have been revered for their beauty for millennia. Nowadays, coloured diamonds offer a strong return on investment—even in the current global market. Debatably less complex than the cryptocurrency market and, decidedly, more beautiful than stocks, fancy coloured diamonds (FCDs) are increasingly turning the heads of wealthy investors. Thanks to a surge in demand for FCDs over the last decade—and their reputation for being a safe long-term investment—it’s no wonder connoisseurs are adding them to...
