The highest sale total of the 2013 Sotheby’s Paris auction season.
June 5, 2013
In a packed sales room, Sotheby’s Paris sale of Contemporary Art achieved a combined total of €21,623,600 / $28,222,906 / £18,403,043. The top lot of the sale was Jean-Michel Basquiat’s monumental Crown Hotel (Mona Lisa Black Background) from The Collection of the Comtesse Viviane de Witt, which sold for €5,697,500 ($7,436,320/£4,848,931). This proved to be a record price for the artist in France, in addition to Willem de Kooning, Jean-Michel Othoniel and Zao Wou-Ki whose works also realised records.
Stefano Moreni, Head of Sotheby’s Paris Contemporary Art Department commented: ‘We are extremely pleased with the strong result of tonight’s sale, which saw the international market responding enthusiastically to rare works from renowned collections. We succeeded in achieving the highest total for a Contemporary Art Evening sale this summer auction season in Paris. This is testament to our strength in sourcing and selling high-calibre works by major global artists, responding precisely to the desires of our clients, with a particular focus on internationally recognised French artists.’
The sale, which closed to a round of applause, was 96.6% sold by lot and 99.8% sold by value, with five works selling for over €1million and a high average lot value of €772,271 ($1,007,960/ £657,251).
