Even though it was a sunny day in New York on Wednesday, Taubman’s Masterworks sale did not seem to share the same golden rays as promised.
The big winners of the night were lead by Georgia O’Keefe (hallelujah! a woman leading the usually testosterone driven auctions).
Pink and Green (Pink Pastelle),
Estimated Price USD 1,200,000 — 1,800,000
Sold for USD 2,530,000
Another big winner of the night was Modigliani, whose estimated price was “upon request”, fetched USD 42,810,000.
Many works were Bought In, even the most instagramed #TaubmanAtSothebys piece; the Femme Assise sur use chaise (Dora)– or simply the elegant lady in the green dress.
The elegant lady did not manage to exceed the lower estimated price ( USD 25,000,000) and it was sold for “only” USD 20,074,000.
Klimt was very well represented, as he was from the very few that managed to exceed the high estimated prices. The same could not be said for Klimt’s student, Schiele whose prices were yo-yoing, sometimes up and others down.
In total the Masterworks managed to raise USD 377,034,000, that’s about 120 million less than expected…Lets see if the Modern & Contemporary Sale will help a little bit…
The Modern & Contemporary Sale was jollier (probably the champagne did some wonders). Yesterday they managed to surprise and surpass the prognostics.
The big surprises of the night were:
Harry Bertoia
Screen From one Marine Midland Centre, Buffalo, New York
Estimate USD 250,000 — 350,000
Lot Sold for USD 790,000
Marc Quinn (remember, I told you about that beautiful, pure and sexual- simultaneously female and male sculpture)
World Of Desire
Estimate USD 80,000 — 120,000
Lot Sold for USD 442,000
Robert Graham
Elisa
Estimate USD 25,000 — 35,000
Lot Sold for USD 262,000 !!!
Jim Dine
The Studio (Landscape painting)
Estimate USD 150,000 — 200,000 Lot Sold USD 418,00 !
…and the surprise:
David Novros
Barranca I
Estimate 25,000 — 35,000
Lot Sold for USD 125,000 !!! That is 3 1/2 times more that the high estimated price!
On that note, the Contemporary managed to reach USD 42,715,500
In total Taubman at Sotheby’s collected USD 419,749,500.- instead of the highly anticipated 500,000,00 but I guess that’s life!
Illustration and Text by Dimitria Markou
