Lot 32, "Femme dans un champ de
blé," by Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas, 16 3/8 by 13 3/4 inches, 1887
Another
Van Gogh is Lot 32, "Femme dans un champ de blé," an oil on canvas that
measures 16 3.8 by 13 3/4 inches. It was painted in 1887.
It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $6,410,000.
Lot 30, "Nymphéas," by Claude
Monet, oil on canvas, 31 3/8 by 39 1/2 inches, 1905.
This
auction has several works by Claude Monet (1840-1926) leading Simon
Shaw of Sotheby's to declare it a "Monet Moment."
The most importat Monet is Lot 30, a very strong example of his famous
water lily series. An oil on canvas, it measures 31 3/8 by 39
1/2 inches and was painted in 1905. It is brighter than an
extremely similar composition that is in the National Museum of Wales
in Cardiff. It has an estimate of $30,000,000 to $45,000,000.
It sold for
$54,010,000, eliciting a round of applause in the auction room.
Lot 47, "Bassin aux nympheas,
les rosiers," by Claude Monet, oil on canvas, 28 3/4 by 39 3/8 inches,
1913
Lot
47 is a colorful pond scene with a bridge by Claude Monet that is an
oil on canvas. It measures 28 3/4 by 39 3/8 inches and was
painted in 1913.
Detail of Lot 47
It has an estimate of
$18,000,000 to $25,000,000. It
sold for $20,410,000.
Lot 28, "La Seine à
Vetheuil," by Monet, oil on canvas, 32 1/8 by 36 3/8 inches, 1901
Lot
28 is a bright and good riverscape by Monet entitled "La Seine à
Vetheuil." An oil on canvas, it measures 32 1/8 by 36 3/8
inches and it was painted in 1901. It is one of 15 in a
series of the same composition. It has an estimate of $6,000,000 to
$8,000,000. It
sold for $11,450,000.
Lot 40, "Le Palais Ducal," by
Claude Monet, oil on canvas, 22 1/3 by 36 1/4 inches, 1908
Lot
40 is a fine Venetian scene by Monet entitled "Le Palais Ducal."
An oil on canvas, it measures 22 1/3 by 36 1/4 inches and was
painted in 1908. It was once in the collection of Jakob Goldschmidt and
was confiscated by the Natioinalist Socialist Government in 1941.
Goldschmidt reclaimed the painting in 1954. It has an
estimate of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It sold for $23,098,000 eliciting
applause in the auction room.
Lot 49, "Le Chemin d'Epinay,
effet de neige," by Claude Monet, oil on canvas, 24 by 39 1/8 inches,
1875
Lot
49 is a very fine winter scene by Monet entitled "Le Chemin d'Epinay,
effet de neige." An oil on canvas, it measures 24 by 39 1/8
inches and was painted in 1875. it has a modest estimate of
$6,000,000 to $8,000,000. It
sold for $6,410,000.
Lot
10, "L'Oiseau encerclant d'or étincelant la pensée du poète," by Joan
Miró, oil on canvas, 23 5/8 by 31 7/8 inches, 1951
Lot 10,
"L'Oiseau encerclant d'or étincelant la pensée du poète," is a fine oil
on canvas by Joan Miró (1893-1983). It measures 23 5/8 by 31
7/8 inches and was painted in 1951. It has an estimate of
$6,000,000 to $9,000,000. It
sold for $9,770,000.
Lot 59, "Femme et oiseau," by
Joan Miró, bronze, 45 3/8 inches high, 1971
Lot
59 is an excellent bronze sculpture by Miró entitleed "Femme et
oiseau." It is 45 3/8 inches high and was cast in 1971.
It has an estimate of $600,000 to $900,000. It sold for $1,090,000.
Lot 35, "Eté à Moret,"
by Alfred Sisley, oil on canvas, 21 1/4 by 25 1/4 inches, 1888
Lot
35 is a good oil on canvas by Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) entitled "Eté à
Moret." It measures 21 1/4 by 25 1/4 inches and was painted
in 1888. It has an estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000.
It sold for
$3,834,000.
Lot 21, "Femme au chignon dans
un fauteil," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 36 1/4 by 28
3/4 inches, 1948
Lot
21 is a bright oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso entitled "Femme au
chignon dans un fauteil." It measures 36 1/4 by 28 3/4 inches
and was painted in 1948. It comes from the collection of
Samuel Goldwyn, the movie producer. It has an estimate of
$12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It
sold for $29,930,000.
Lot 22, "Anémones et grenades,"
by Henri Matisse, oil on canvas, 25 1/2 by 32 inches, 1946
Another
major work from the Goldwyn collection, and a much better painting than
the Picasso, is Lot 22, an excellent still life by Henri Matisse
(1869-1954) entitled "Anémones et grenades." An oil on
canvas, it measures 25 1/2 by 32 inches and was painted in 1946.
"As one of the last oil paintings that Matisse executed prior
to his final series of paper cut-outs, " the catalogue noted, "Anémones et grenades
echoes the bold arrangements of collage elements that marked his late
oeuvre. In this work, the artist has maintained a border of
bare canvas to each element of the composition, so that the patches of
pure pigment resemble pieces of paper pasted onto the canvas.
This device has the effect of elminating any suggestion of
modeling, thus reasserting the flatness of the picture surface."
The catalogue also notes that Alfred Moritz Frankfurter, the editor of
Art News, sold the painting to Goldwyn for $13,500 and it was the first
painting to enter the Goldwyn collection. It
has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $6,074,000.
Lot 8, "La Roue bleue, état
définitif," by Fernard Léger, oil on canvas, 36 1/8 by 23 1/2 inches,
1920
The
auction has several fine paintings by Fernand Léger (1881-1955).
The best is Lot 8, "La Roue bleue, état définitif," a very vibrant oil
on canvas that measures 36 1/8 by 23 1/2 inches. It was
painted in 1920. It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to
$12,000,000. It
sold for $10,554,000.
Lot 12, "Les Pecheurs," by
Léger, oil on canvas, 18 1/2 by 24 1/2 inches, 1921
A
more muted and soft Léger is Lot 12, "Les Pecheurs," an oil on canvas
that measures 18 1/2 by 24 1/2 inches. It was painted in 1921
and is closely related but stronger than a version at the Kunstinstitut
in Hamburg. It has an estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000.
It sold for
$3,370,000.
Lot 14, "Les Deux Pecheurs," by
Léger, oil on canvas, 25 1/2 by 35 3/4 inches, 1921
Another
work by Léger depicting fisherman, this time only two, is Lot 14, "Les
Deux Pecheurs," an oil on canvas that measures 25 1/2 by 35 3/4 inches.
It was painted in 1921. It has an estimate of
$4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It
sold for $5,290,000.
Lot 11, "Pommes dans L'atelier,"
by Alberto Giacometti, oil on canvas, 27 1/2 by 16 3/4
inches, 1950
Lot
11 is a very excellent and strong oil on canvas by Alberto Giacometti
(1901-1966) that is entitled "Pommes dans L'atelier." It
measures 27 1/2 by 16 3/4 inches and was painted in 1950. The
catalogue notes that "Giacometti once quipped that only Francis Bacon
had a messier studio than he did, indicative of a certain pride that he
may have taken in his own permissive disorderliness." "The
ashen and tobacco-stained palette of the artist's paintings of this
subject, including the present work, evoke the plaster dust that
covered nearly every surface and the cigarette butts that he discarded
all over the floor," it added. It has an estimate of
$3,500,000 to $5,000,000. It
sold for $7,082,000.
Lot 34, "Femme de Venise VI,"
and detail, by Alberto Giacometti, bronze, 51 inches high, numbered
4/6, 1956
Lot
34 is a tall and slender bronze by Alberto Giacometti entitled "Femme
de Venice VI." It is 51 inches high and is number 4/6.
It was cast in 1956 and is the tallest of nine similar works.
It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $16,154,000.
Lot 17, "Working Model for
Locking Piece, by Henry Moore, bronze, 42 inches high, 1962
Lot
17 is a large bronze by Henry Moore (1898-1986) entitled "Working Model
for Locking Piece." It is 42 inches high and is number 9/9.
It was conceived and cast in1962 and is monumentally
powerful. It has an estimate of $900,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $1,425,000.
Lot 45, "Le Chat accroupi," by
Pablo Picasso, bronze, 20 inches long, 1943
Lot 45 is bronze sculpture of a
cat by Pablo Picasso. It is 20 inches long and was cast in
1943. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000.
It sold for $1,800,000.
