This week sees a rash of auctions in Europe; and early indications are for a continuing strong interest from the big money.
Earlier today, “Le Basin aux Nympheas“, a Monet water lilies that hasn’t been seen in public since 1971, was sold for $80,451,178 (including premium). This is the highest price ever obtained for a painting at auction by Christies in Europe.
Other items of interest: a Degas went for $26.5million; a reclining woman by Henry Moore fetched $8.4m; and even Russian cubist Vera Rockline’s “The Card Players” (see right) was sold for $4m. A couple of Miros failed to meet their minimums, though.
There is a second day at Christies tomorrow and on Monday, the auction house holds the sequel to its successful Post-War show, with yet another huge Lucian Freud piece (”Naked Portrait With Reflection”) at its heart.
The estimate is $30 million. We’ll see
