1944
1944 masterpiece
Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion by Bacon
Tate
Criticism of religion is an inspiration for Francis Bacon. In 1944 he mixed Christianity with the horrors of war in Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, which he considered as his first completed work. This image assured him a scandalous success.
Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (c. 1944) by Francis Bacon is widely regarded as a pivotal breakthrough in modern art, particularly in post-war British and European painting. This oil and pastel triptych on fibreboard, now held by Tate Britain, depicts three grotesque, biomorphic creatures—writhing anthropomorphic figures with elongated necks, exposed teeth, and blindfolded or featureless heads—perched on table-like structures against a vivid, flat burnt-orange background. Inspired by the Furies (Eumenides) from Aeschylus's Oresteia, these hybrid human-animal forms evoke vengeance, pain, and primal instinct rather than traditional religious iconography.
Why it is considered a breakthrough:
Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (c. 1944) by Francis Bacon is widely regarded as a pivotal breakthrough in modern art, particularly in post-war British and European painting. This oil and pastel triptych on fibreboard, now held by Tate Britain, depicts three grotesque, biomorphic creatures—writhing anthropomorphic figures with elongated necks, exposed teeth, and blindfolded or featureless heads—perched on table-like structures against a vivid, flat burnt-orange background. Inspired by the Furies (Eumenides) from Aeschylus's Oresteia, these hybrid human-animal forms evoke vengeance, pain, and primal instinct rather than traditional religious iconography.
Why it is considered a breakthrough:
- Marks the start of Bacon's mature style and career: Bacon, a late bloomer who painted sporadically in the 1920s–1930s, destroyed most pre-1944 works and insisted this triptych was the true beginning of his oeuvre. Critics like John Russell and David Sylvester aligned with this view, treating it as his first fully realized masterpiece. It established his signature approach: violently distorting the human figure to convey raw emotion directly to the "nervous system," balancing on a "tightrope" between figuration and abstraction.
- Innovative distortion of the human form: The figures blend human and animal traits, drawing from Picasso's late-1920s biomorphic bathers, Eadweard Muybridge's motion studies, and wildlife imagery. This created Bacon's hallmark "hybridised beings"—monstrous yet poignant—exploring human behavior as instinctual and brutal. It shifted crucifixion imagery from literal religious scenes (no cross or Christ appears) to a secular "armature" for existential themes, including self-portraiture and private feelings about violence, power, and life's meaninglessness.
- Post-war resonance and raw expression of trauma: Painted in 1944 amid WWII's end, with emerging reports of Nazi concentration camps and atomic bombs, the work captured widespread horror, alienation, and nihilism. Its visceral, screaming forms reflected collective anguish in a godless world, where humans are "transient meat" subject to meaningless suffering. Exhibited in 1945, it shocked audiences and critics, making Bacon overnight the most controversial British painter and redefining post-war art through unflinching depictions of suffering.
- Influence on modern figurative painting: In a era dominated by abstraction, Bacon revived distorted figuration with emotional intensity, influencing later artists confronting violence and the body. Tate curators describe it as a "turning point in the history of British art," sealing Bacon's reputation as a chronicler of the human condition's bleakness.
PICASSO
1
March 5 Buste de Femme
2025 SOLD for HK$ 197M by Christie's
Buste de Femme was sold for HK $ 197M from a lower estimate of HK $ 86M for sale by Christie's on September 26, 2025, lot 8.
This oil on canvas 80 x 65 cm by Picasso is dated March 5, 1944. It features the signature Dora Maar in an armchair, with the distortion of her lower face and an extravagant hat. With her wide open eyes and mouth, she expresses the oppression in Paris during the German occupation.
Grok thought :
Quote
FanBe @FanBe_web3 Oct 16
Picasso’s Buste de femme sold for HK$197M, setting his Asia auction record at Christie’s Hong Kong! #art
This oil on canvas 80 x 65 cm by Picasso is dated March 5, 1944. It features the signature Dora Maar in an armchair, with the distortion of her lower face and an extravagant hat. With her wide open eyes and mouth, she expresses the oppression in Paris during the German occupation.
Grok thought :
Quote
FanBe @FanBe_web3 Oct 16
Picasso’s Buste de femme sold for HK$197M, setting his Asia auction record at Christie’s Hong Kong! #art
- Picasso's 1944 "Buste de femme," depicting muse Dora Maar in Cubist style, fetched HK$197M (US$25.3M) at Christie's Hong Kong on October 11, 2025, eclipsing the artist's prior Asian record of HK$137M set in 2019.
- The attached video shows auctioneer driving bids upward through phone and paddle competition, reflecting Asia's surging demand for postwar modern art amid a 15% regional market growth in 2024 per UBS/Art Basel report.
2
May 1 Buste de Femme
2014 SOLD for $ 2.74M by Christie's
Buste de Femme, oil on canvas 35 x 27 cm painted by Picasso on May 1, 1944, was sold for $ 2.74M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Christie's on May 7, 2014, lot 314.
The unidentified young woman, subject of a series of 9 portraits executed over 4 days, expresses a duality at a time of rivalry between Dora Maar and the new muse Françoise Gilot. Indeed one side of the head is coifed while the other side is shabby.
The unidentified young woman, subject of a series of 9 portraits executed over 4 days, expresses a duality at a time of rivalry between Dora Maar and the new muse Françoise Gilot. Indeed one side of the head is coifed while the other side is shabby.
3
August 6 Plant de Tomates
2017 SOLD for £ 17M by Sotheby's
Picasso did not want to leave Paris during the German Occupation. Times are hard. The Germans do not forgive his interpretation of Guernica and a decree forbids to exhibit his art. Pablo devotes most of his work to still life which has a lower risk of retaliation and confiscation.
Liberation is approaching and violence is increasing. In early August 1944 Pablo left his studio in the Quartier Latin which had become too dangerous and spent several days in the apartment of the Ile Saint-Louis occupied by his former mistress Marie-Thérèse with their daughter Maya.
Pablo has no heart to pleasure. He looks at a tomato plant in front of the window. Easy to grow with little soil, water and sunlight, the tomato offers a limited complement of food in addition to the strict rationing. It mostly offers an illusion of initiative and freedom in this stifling time.
Pablo painted a simultaneous series of oil on canvas 92 x 73 cm on that theme. The more or less ripe tomatoes and the rich or weak foliage are not a naturalistic picture of Marie-Thérèse's plant but express the feelings of the Parisians at that time of undecided future.In the optimistic version dated 6 August 1944, the heavy fruits soon to be picked bend the branches in a harmoniously centered composition.
This oil on canvas 92 x 73 cm was sold for £ 17M from a lower estimate of £ 10M by Sotheby's on March 1, 2017, lot 8.
Liberation is approaching and violence is increasing. In early August 1944 Pablo left his studio in the Quartier Latin which had become too dangerous and spent several days in the apartment of the Ile Saint-Louis occupied by his former mistress Marie-Thérèse with their daughter Maya.
Pablo has no heart to pleasure. He looks at a tomato plant in front of the window. Easy to grow with little soil, water and sunlight, the tomato offers a limited complement of food in addition to the strict rationing. It mostly offers an illusion of initiative and freedom in this stifling time.
Pablo painted a simultaneous series of oil on canvas 92 x 73 cm on that theme. The more or less ripe tomatoes and the rich or weak foliage are not a naturalistic picture of Marie-Thérèse's plant but express the feelings of the Parisians at that time of undecided future.In the optimistic version dated 6 August 1944, the heavy fruits soon to be picked bend the branches in a harmoniously centered composition.
This oil on canvas 92 x 73 cm was sold for £ 17M from a lower estimate of £ 10M by Sotheby's on March 1, 2017, lot 8.
4
August 10 Plant de Tomates
2006 SOLD for $ 13.5M by Christie's
In the same format as the example above, a gloomy version dated August 10 was sold for $ 13.5M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Christie's on November 8, 2006, lot 7.
Pablo Picasso painted a series of tomato plant still lifes (known as Plant de tomates or Plante de tomate) in the summer of 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Paris. These works symbolize hope, resilience, and renewal amid wartime hardship, inspired by a potted tomato plant growing on a windowsill in the apartment he shared with Marie-Thérèse Walter and their daughter Maya.
The series includes multiple variations (sources cite between 5 and 9 canvases, plus preparatory drawings), painted between early and mid-August 1944, just before the Liberation of Paris on August 25. All are oil on canvas, often similar in size (around 92 x 73 cm), depicting the plant against a window with cubist-influenced fragmentation, vibrant greens and reds for the leaves and fruits, and geometric lines from the window frame.
The two specific paintings
Pablo Picasso painted a series of tomato plant still lifes (known as Plant de tomates or Plante de tomate) in the summer of 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Paris. These works symbolize hope, resilience, and renewal amid wartime hardship, inspired by a potted tomato plant growing on a windowsill in the apartment he shared with Marie-Thérèse Walter and their daughter Maya.
The series includes multiple variations (sources cite between 5 and 9 canvases, plus preparatory drawings), painted between early and mid-August 1944, just before the Liberation of Paris on August 25. All are oil on canvas, often similar in size (around 92 x 73 cm), depicting the plant against a window with cubist-influenced fragmentation, vibrant greens and reds for the leaves and fruits, and geometric lines from the window frame.
The two specific paintings
- The painting dated August 6 (progressing to completion around August 9), sold by Sotheby's on March 1, 2017 (lot 8):
This is the most complex and elaborated version in the series. Zervos catalog records document its progression: photographed in an unfinished state on August 6, further advanced on August 9. It features heavy, ripe tomatoes (green transitioning to red), arched branches contrasting with the strong horizontal and vertical lines of the window grid, creating a highly fragmented, cubist-like composition. Described as the "most complex and visually striking example," it emphasizes abundance and vitality, with bold modeling, shadowing, and a sense of depth through the window view. It sold for over £17 million and had been in private collection since 1976. - The painting dated August 10, sold by Christie's on November 8, 2006 (lot 7):
Explicitly dated "10 Août 44" on the reverse and signed on the front. This version is often regarded as one of the finest and best-known in the series. It shows the tomato plant on a windowsill, with vines growing toward freely painted sunlight and sky, heavy fruits, and dynamic leaves. The composition incorporates movement in the vines, vibrant color contrasts (reds, greens, yellows/grays in the background evoking the wartime atmosphere), and a balance of abstraction with organic forms. It similarly uses window panes to fragment the space but is noted for its decorative metaphor of survival and flourishing under constraints.
- Similarities: Both are vertical-format oils on canvas of identical dimensions (92 x 73 cm), part of the same intense creative burst in August 1944. They share the core motif: a resilient tomato plant with stake support, laden fruits symbolizing hope amid scarcity, set against a window evoking confinement yet openness to light/sky. Palette (vibrant greens, reds, earthy tones) and style (cubist fragmentation, bold outlines, surrealist vitality) are consistent across the series.
- Differences:
- The August 6/9 version is highlighted for greater complexity in composition (more pronounced grid-like fragmentation from the window, arched branches creating stronger contrasts).
- The August 10 version is praised for its refined balance, movement toward light, and arguably superior execution in capturing the plant's "readiness to grow."
- The series varies in degrees of abstraction and finish; the earlier one (August 6 progressing) shows Picasso's working process (documented in progress photos), while the August 10 appears more resolved.
1944 Good Afternoon, Mrs Lincoln by Gorky
2018 SOLD for $ 14M by Christie's
André Breton in exile in New York discovers in January 1944 the art of Arshile Gorky. They will meet in the fall. In the mean time, Gorky moved from New York with his family to a farm near Lincoln in rural Virginia. He was happy and enjoyed working in his new garden, in a reminiscence of his childhood in rural Armenia.
The title Good Afternoon, Mrs Lincoln is poetic without an identified reference to the past President. This oil on canvas 76 x 96 cm features a group in the garden, going to abstraction through meandering thin lines amid spots of bright colors.
It was sold for $ 14M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 4B. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The title Good Afternoon, Mrs Lincoln is poetic without an identified reference to the past President. This oil on canvas 76 x 96 cm features a group in the garden, going to abstraction through meandering thin lines amid spots of bright colors.
It was sold for $ 14M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on November 13, 2018, lot 4B. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1944 Landscape in Jingangpo by Fu Baoshi
2012 SOLD for RMB 92M by Poly
The Chinese pictorial art has a unique feature: throughout 2,000 years, it has evolved without ever being outfashioned, so that modern artists have again found their inspiration in the most ancient of their predecessors.
Fu Baoshi was a connoisseur of ancient Chinese painting and poetry. The vertical format of his landscapes, deriving from the scroll, first disturbs and then amazes the Western observer accustomed to be presented with wide horizontal perspectives.
He is also traditional in his subjects. The calm and beauty of the hills excite him. He looks for such a spirit in the ancient poems that he calligraphies in his artworks, in accordance with tradition.
But Fu Baoshi developed also an innovative technique, which fits perfectly in the history of international modern art. The general atmosphere is created by subtle ink washes gently mixed, supplemented by a myriad of details. This mixing of realism and impressionism is very successful.
A large format ink painting 208 x 60 cm was sold for HK $ 60M by Christie's on November 29, 2009, lot 621, and for RMB 92M by Poly on June 3,2012, lot 3859. It is showing a landscape of mountains, inspired by a Tang dynasty poem by Dufu. It was made in 1944, at a time when Fu reached his highest artistic maturity.
This artwork was carried out by Fu in Jingangpo. To better experience the beauty of Sichuan mountains, he lived and worked in a tiny hut. The vertical format enhances the mystical character of the landscape. The characters walk in the lower end of the scenery, but the immensity of the peaks has a soothing and welcoming effect.
In the same style, Trekking Over Mountains in Moonlight, hanging scroll in ink and color on paper 177 x 57 cm painted by Fu Baoshi in 1945, was sold for HK $ 93M by Sotheby's on October 2, 2017, lot 1291.
Fu Baoshi was a connoisseur of ancient Chinese painting and poetry. The vertical format of his landscapes, deriving from the scroll, first disturbs and then amazes the Western observer accustomed to be presented with wide horizontal perspectives.
He is also traditional in his subjects. The calm and beauty of the hills excite him. He looks for such a spirit in the ancient poems that he calligraphies in his artworks, in accordance with tradition.
But Fu Baoshi developed also an innovative technique, which fits perfectly in the history of international modern art. The general atmosphere is created by subtle ink washes gently mixed, supplemented by a myriad of details. This mixing of realism and impressionism is very successful.
A large format ink painting 208 x 60 cm was sold for HK $ 60M by Christie's on November 29, 2009, lot 621, and for RMB 92M by Poly on June 3,2012, lot 3859. It is showing a landscape of mountains, inspired by a Tang dynasty poem by Dufu. It was made in 1944, at a time when Fu reached his highest artistic maturity.
This artwork was carried out by Fu in Jingangpo. To better experience the beauty of Sichuan mountains, he lived and worked in a tiny hut. The vertical format enhances the mystical character of the landscape. The characters walk in the lower end of the scenery, but the immensity of the peaks has a soothing and welcoming effect.
In the same style, Trekking Over Mountains in Moonlight, hanging scroll in ink and color on paper 177 x 57 cm painted by Fu Baoshi in 1945, was sold for HK $ 93M by Sotheby's on October 2, 2017, lot 1291.
ZHANG DAQIAN from Dunhuang
1
1944 Tang Lady
2013 SOLD for RMB 71M by China Guardian
The 31-month scholar and artistic work of Zhang Daqian in the grottoes of Dunhuang, from 1941 to 1943, have not only helped the Chinese to appreciate their ancient pictorial heritage. Now enjoying a new vision across ages in addition to his flawless technique, Zhang became the best modern Chinese artist.
With their precise thin line drawing, the Tang figures are the best mural art in Dunhuang. After copying, Zhang began to imitate them.
A martial art heroine named Hong Fu Nu from a novel of the Tang dynasty became his inspiration for the ideal glamorous woman. This red sleeved swordswoman is one of the three popular heroes of wind and dust.
In 1944, Zhang performs a sumptuous portrait of this court woman in an elaborate costume, with bright colors on a background dotted with gold. The flexible expression of the woman is inspired by Ming style. This artwork, 125 x 75 cm including the subframe, was sold for RMB 71M from a lower estimate of RMB 12M by China Guardian on May 10, 2013, lot 240.
In 1953, while in Argentina, Zhang Daqian executes a replica of his Tang Lady with an almost identical drawing, but without gold and fake frame and in a lighter tone. This ink and color on paper 135 x 57 cm was sold for HK $ 66M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2014, lot 1518 and for HK $ 97M by Holly on May 27, 2019, lot 8. It is catalogued with a title in French, La Beauté Antique, following an exhibition in Paris in 1956.
With their precise thin line drawing, the Tang figures are the best mural art in Dunhuang. After copying, Zhang began to imitate them.
A martial art heroine named Hong Fu Nu from a novel of the Tang dynasty became his inspiration for the ideal glamorous woman. This red sleeved swordswoman is one of the three popular heroes of wind and dust.
In 1944, Zhang performs a sumptuous portrait of this court woman in an elaborate costume, with bright colors on a background dotted with gold. The flexible expression of the woman is inspired by Ming style. This artwork, 125 x 75 cm including the subframe, was sold for RMB 71M from a lower estimate of RMB 12M by China Guardian on May 10, 2013, lot 240.
In 1953, while in Argentina, Zhang Daqian executes a replica of his Tang Lady with an almost identical drawing, but without gold and fake frame and in a lighter tone. This ink and color on paper 135 x 57 cm was sold for HK $ 66M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2014, lot 1518 and for HK $ 97M by Holly on May 27, 2019, lot 8. It is catalogued with a title in French, La Beauté Antique, following an exhibition in Paris in 1956.
2
undated Dakini
2016 SOLD for RMB 64M by Poly
Dakini, meaning the one who flies, is a Buddhist female goddess, spirit or demon. A Dakini had been copied by Zhang Daqian in his Dunhuang series. In an abstract surrounding, the red skinned deity tramples with one foot a woman while the other leg is bent. This undated color and gold powder on paper 84 x 53 cm was sold for RMB 64M from a lower estimate of RMB 25M by Poly on June 4, 2016, lot 3341.
The candid Dakini has the third eye of wisdom. She bears five tiny skulls in her hair and a full length scarf adorned in both sides with hideous cut heads. One hand holds a ritual vessel and the other is raised with a Buddhist attribute. The trampled woman in smaller scale may be a courtesan : she is in full nudity excepted a necklace and pairs of bangles on wrists, arms and ankles.
The image is shared post sale by ChinaDaily.
The candid Dakini has the third eye of wisdom. She bears five tiny skulls in her hair and a full length scarf adorned in both sides with hideous cut heads. One hand holds a ritual vessel and the other is raised with a Buddhist attribute. The trampled woman in smaller scale may be a courtesan : she is in full nudity excepted a necklace and pairs of bangles on wrists, arms and ankles.
The image is shared post sale by ChinaDaily.
1944 Idolo (Oya) by Lam
2025 SOLD for $ 7.4M by Sotheby's
Idolo (Oya) by Wifredo Lam subtitled in French La Divinité de l'air et de la mort, oil and charcoal on canvas 157 x 128 cm painted in 1944, was sold by Sotheby's for $ 4.6M on May 23, 2012, lot 8 and for $ 7.4M on November 20, 2025, lot 110.
Asking Grok to compare with Omi Obini sold by Sotheby's on June 29, 2020.
Grok thought :
Comparison of "Ídolo (Oyá/Divinité de l'air et de la mort)" and "Omi Obini" by Wifredo Lam
Wifredo Lam, a Cuban artist known for blending Surrealism, Cubism, and Afro-Cuban spiritual motifs, created both works during a pivotal period in the early 1940s after returning to Cuba from Europe amid World War II. This era marked his exploration of Santería (a syncretic religion fusing Yoruba traditions with Catholicism), resulting in hybrid, mythical figures that symbolize cultural identity, exile, and primal forces. "Ídolo (Oyá/Divinité de l'air et de la mort)" (1944) is an upcoming lot at Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction on November 20, 2025 (Lot 110), while "Omi Obini" (1943) sold at Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on June 29, 2020 (Lot 1008). Below is a side-by-side comparison based on available details, followed by an analysis of similarities and differences.
Title Meaning
Idolo : "Idol (Oya/Goddess of Air and Death)" – References Oyá, a Yoruba orisha (deity) associated with winds, storms, lightning, and the transition to death.
Omi Obini : "Water Woman" – "Omi" means water and "Obini" means woman in Yoruba, likely evoking Yemayá or a similar aquatic feminine spirit in Santería.
Medium
Idolo : Oil and charcoal on canvas.
Omi Obini : Oil on canvas.
Dimensions
Idolo : 62 x 50 ¼ in (157.3 x 127.6 cm).
Omi Obini : 72 x 49 in (182.9 x 124.5 cm).
Signature & Date
Idolo : Signed "Wifredo Lam" and dated 1944 (lower left).
Omi Obini : Signed "Wifredo Lam" and dated 1943 (lower right).
Similarities
Asking Grok to compare with Omi Obini sold by Sotheby's on June 29, 2020.
Grok thought :
Comparison of "Ídolo (Oyá/Divinité de l'air et de la mort)" and "Omi Obini" by Wifredo Lam
Wifredo Lam, a Cuban artist known for blending Surrealism, Cubism, and Afro-Cuban spiritual motifs, created both works during a pivotal period in the early 1940s after returning to Cuba from Europe amid World War II. This era marked his exploration of Santería (a syncretic religion fusing Yoruba traditions with Catholicism), resulting in hybrid, mythical figures that symbolize cultural identity, exile, and primal forces. "Ídolo (Oyá/Divinité de l'air et de la mort)" (1944) is an upcoming lot at Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction on November 20, 2025 (Lot 110), while "Omi Obini" (1943) sold at Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on June 29, 2020 (Lot 1008). Below is a side-by-side comparison based on available details, followed by an analysis of similarities and differences.
Title Meaning
Idolo : "Idol (Oya/Goddess of Air and Death)" – References Oyá, a Yoruba orisha (deity) associated with winds, storms, lightning, and the transition to death.
Omi Obini : "Water Woman" – "Omi" means water and "Obini" means woman in Yoruba, likely evoking Yemayá or a similar aquatic feminine spirit in Santería.
Medium
Idolo : Oil and charcoal on canvas.
Omi Obini : Oil on canvas.
Dimensions
Idolo : 62 x 50 ¼ in (157.3 x 127.6 cm).
Omi Obini : 72 x 49 in (182.9 x 124.5 cm).
Signature & Date
Idolo : Signed "Wifredo Lam" and dated 1944 (lower left).
Omi Obini : Signed "Wifredo Lam" and dated 1943 (lower right).
Similarities
- Artistic Period and Style: Both were painted in Cuba during Lam's "Jungle" phase (1940s), where he fused European avant-garde influences (e.g., Picasso, Surrealism) with African and Caribbean elements. They feature anthropomorphic, hybrid figures—elongated limbs, mask-like faces, and symbolic attributes like horns or vegetal forms—evoking ritualistic power and cultural syncretism.
- Thematic Elements: Rooted in Yoruba mythology and Santería. "Ídolo" personifies Oyá's destructive yet transformative energy (air/death), while "Omi Obini" embodies feminine, life-giving forces (water/woman). Both reflect Lam's interest in orishas as metaphors for resistance against colonialism and oppression.
- Market Trajectory: High-value pieces with strong auction histories at Sotheby's. "Omi Obini" achieved a record in 2020, signaling growing demand for Lam's work; "Ídolo" could follow suit, potentially appreciating from its 2012 price (annualized return around 2-3% if it hits the midpoint estimate of $7M, calculated as [(7M / 4.56M)^(1/13) - 1] ≈ 3.3%). Both have overlapped in exhibitions (e.g., Hirshhorn 1992, Reina Sofía), underscoring their institutional appeal.
- Physical Attributes: Comparable large-scale formats suited for major collections, with earthy palettes and dynamic compositions.
- Size and Composition: "Omi Obini" is taller and narrower, emphasizing verticality (perhaps evoking fluidity/water), while "Ídolo" is squarer, allowing for a more centralized, idol-like figure. The addition of charcoal in "Ídolo" adds textural depth, contrasting the pure oil of "Omi Obini."
- Market Performance and Timing: "Omi Obini" outperformed its estimate slightly in 2020 amid a surge in interest for Latin American modernists, setting a benchmark. "Ídolo"'s lower estimate reflects a more conservative approach, but its recent provenance and exhibition history could drive bidding higher. The 5-year gap (2020 vs. 2025) and post-pandemic market shifts may influence outcomes—Lam's prices have risen overall, with records broken multiple times since 2012.
- Symbolic Focus: "Ídolo" leans toward mortality and elemental chaos (air/death), while "Omi Obini" suggests nurturing and renewal (water/life), highlighting Lam's range within Yoruba themes.
- Historical Context: "Ídolo" (1944) was created amid wartime reflections, exhibited early in Europe (1947), and has a longer provenance trail including Latin American collectors. "Omi Obini" (1943) ties more directly to Lam's immediate return to Cuba, with a provenance emphasizing U.S. and European galleries.
1944 Woman with Tulip by Freud
2025 SOLD for £ 3.2M by Christie's
Lorna was the first female muse of Lucian Freud. In 1944 that married woman was 30 years old and the artist 8 years younger.
Woman with Tulip is a flattened bust portrait of Lorna behind a post-Cézannian tabletop on which a single flower is laying. The wide opened eyes are sketched too wide and the closed red lips are not engaging a chat.
That bright red tulip blossom is cut very short, possibly announcing that her romantic affair with the artist may not last long. Indeed this childish portrait does not reflect Lorna's ravishing reputation. Lorna's mesmerizing blue eyes are indeed the major theme of this picture.
This oil on panel 25.5 x 15.3cm was sold for £ 3.2M by Christie's on October 15, 2025, lot 16.
Woman with Tulip is a flattened bust portrait of Lorna behind a post-Cézannian tabletop on which a single flower is laying. The wide opened eyes are sketched too wide and the closed red lips are not engaging a chat.
That bright red tulip blossom is cut very short, possibly announcing that her romantic affair with the artist may not last long. Indeed this childish portrait does not reflect Lorna's ravishing reputation. Lorna's mesmerizing blue eyes are indeed the major theme of this picture.
This oil on panel 25.5 x 15.3cm was sold for £ 3.2M by Christie's on October 15, 2025, lot 16.
