1962
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Warhol USA by Warhol Celebrities by Warhol Rothko 1957-70 Twombly Bacon Bacon < 1963 Picasso in Mougins Animals Cars Cars of the 1960s Cars 1962-63 Italy Ferrari
See also : Warhol USA by Warhol Celebrities by Warhol Rothko 1957-70 Twombly Bacon Bacon < 1963 Picasso in Mougins Animals Cars Cars of the 1960s Cars 1962-63 Italy Ferrari
1962 WARHOL
Intro
1962 is the year of the first exhibitions dedicated to Warhol in Los Angeles and New York. Suddenly, from nowhere, appeared the seminal Warholian themes of contemporary art: the Campbell's soup, Marilyn, the dollar.
Warhol's contribution is to introduce in art such popular images that are instantly recognizable by everyone, and yet are paintings. Doing it he actually created current art, or still better the art of the current world.
He operated at all scales the fruitful idea of multiples, for which he is helped by the silkscreen printing technique in two complementary ways: separate similar works with variations of colors, and juxtaposition of identical patterns on the same work.
Warhol's contribution is to introduce in art such popular images that are instantly recognizable by everyone, and yet are paintings. Doing it he actually created current art, or still better the art of the current world.
He operated at all scales the fruitful idea of multiples, for which he is helped by the silkscreen printing technique in two complementary ways: separate similar works with variations of colors, and juxtaposition of identical patterns on the same work.
1
Coca-Cola
2012 SOLD for $ 57M by Christie's
In 1962, Warhol's art focuses on the American consumer society synthesized in four themes: the dollar, Marilyn, the soup cans and the bottles of Coca-Cola.
Coming from the advertising, he now stands out completely. The Campbell's soup cans have an extraordinary feature : the box is singled in the image, with no added text and nothing to embellish. The models differ only by their labels.
The artist turns advertising into derision. He painted the same year a Campbell's can torn to be destroyed. This remarkable indicator of the artistic intention of Warhol has been sold for $ 11.7M by Christie's on May 9, 2006, despite its small size, 51 x 41 cm.
For Warhol, the Coca-Cola bottle in a single model with no variant is the common point between all Americans without any social distinction. The US President, Liz Taylor and the observer of the art of Warhol see and use this object in the same way. It is a symbol of equality. At the same time, Warhol is also studying the soup cans which he stages in incredible positions with dimensions similar to those of humans.
Equality is socially too important for joking, and the bottle of Coca-Cola, even when oversized, remains standing with the utmost seriousness. For this reason, variations are not appropriate and this bottle is the rarest among the top iconic symbols of the first year of Warhol.
The early Coca-Colas by Warhol are made singly by hand in black, without recourse to the silkscreen.
Soup and coke were linked in the mind of Warhol. A simple watercolored drawing, 60 x 45 cm, also made in 1962, shows the can upside down over the neck of the bottle. It was sold for $ 2.8M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2007.
The idea of multiples is already another key of the world of Warhol. Coca-Cola (3), casein on cotton 176 x 137 cm, has exactly the same figure as (4) but in a smaller size. (3) was sold for $ 57M from a lower estimate of $ 40M by Christie's on November 12, 2013, lot 27.
Coca-Cola (4), acrylic on canvas 208 x 144 cm was sold for $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 9, 2010.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
Coming from the advertising, he now stands out completely. The Campbell's soup cans have an extraordinary feature : the box is singled in the image, with no added text and nothing to embellish. The models differ only by their labels.
The artist turns advertising into derision. He painted the same year a Campbell's can torn to be destroyed. This remarkable indicator of the artistic intention of Warhol has been sold for $ 11.7M by Christie's on May 9, 2006, despite its small size, 51 x 41 cm.
For Warhol, the Coca-Cola bottle in a single model with no variant is the common point between all Americans without any social distinction. The US President, Liz Taylor and the observer of the art of Warhol see and use this object in the same way. It is a symbol of equality. At the same time, Warhol is also studying the soup cans which he stages in incredible positions with dimensions similar to those of humans.
Equality is socially too important for joking, and the bottle of Coca-Cola, even when oversized, remains standing with the utmost seriousness. For this reason, variations are not appropriate and this bottle is the rarest among the top iconic symbols of the first year of Warhol.
The early Coca-Colas by Warhol are made singly by hand in black, without recourse to the silkscreen.
Soup and coke were linked in the mind of Warhol. A simple watercolored drawing, 60 x 45 cm, also made in 1962, shows the can upside down over the neck of the bottle. It was sold for $ 2.8M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2007.
The idea of multiples is already another key of the world of Warhol. Coca-Cola (3), casein on cotton 176 x 137 cm, has exactly the same figure as (4) but in a smaller size. (3) was sold for $ 57M from a lower estimate of $ 40M by Christie's on November 12, 2013, lot 27.
Coca-Cola (4), acrylic on canvas 208 x 144 cm was sold for $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 9, 2010.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
- This 2013 post by @ArtHitParade highlights the upcoming Christie's New York auction of Andy Warhol's "Coca-Cola 3" (1962), a silkscreen ink and graphite on linen from his iconic series critiquing consumerism through everyday American symbols.
- The painting, estimated at $40-60 million, sold for $57.3 million to an anonymous buyer, helping the evening sale achieve a then-record $691.6 million total for Post-War and Contemporary art.
- As part of Warhol's early 1960s exploration of mass media, "Coca-Cola 3" features a fragmented bottle outline, emphasizing repetition and accessibility, themes that propelled Pop Art's influence on modern culture.
2
Nine Marilyns
2021 SOLD for $ 47M by Sotheby's
After his first solo exhibition in July 1962 in Los Angeles, Andy Warhol, a former advertising illustrator turned artist and the painter of Coca Cola bottles and Campbell's cans, manages to develop a quick and repeatable technique to produce paintings : silkscreen printing over a painted surface. With such a process, he will make multiple images either dispositioned side by side on the same canvas or featured in different colors on separated canvas.
He makes his first trials with photographs of teen stars, Natalie Wood, Troy Donahue and Warren Beatty. The sudden death of Marilyn Monroe on August 5 is a major shock to the American dream. Magazines explore frantically the last periods of her life.just at that time. Warhol appreciates that the image of the actress who had mingled tragedy and glamour was a perfect theme for the development of his art beyond cats and soup cans.
Marilyn was dazzling. Andy chooses a film still made in 1952 to exalt his new posthumous muse. He copies the same image four times, in two columns and two rows, for a total size that now would seem small, 73 x 55 cm. In addition to the nice smile, the yellow hair before the orange background is expressing that death should not take its toll on the actress.
The Quadruple Marilyn 74 x 55 cm overall that sold for $ 38M at Phillips on May 16, 2013 can be described as a prototype with two applications of screen printing, one above and one below the acrylic layer, in order to improve the contrast of the image.
The early trials do not meet the productivity required by Warhol. The series of twelve single Marilyn 51 x 41 cm are made with a single screen printing over acrylic paints of various colors. Two of these paintings are monochromatic. The White Marilyn was sold for $ 41M by Christie's on May 13, 2014. They are altogether the precursors of the global imaging desired by Warhol.
Some diversity can be reached while using indefinitely the same image, through the format, the multiplicity, the background, the contrast and the margins. The Nine Marilyns painted in 1962 by Andy Warhol has it all.
The vertical canvas 207 x 86 cm is centered without side margins by a block of nine black and white silkscreen images in three rows and three columns. The upper and lower margins highlight the luminous silver color of the whole background, which is an early direct reference by Andy to the cinema screen. The images are voluntarily more or less faded in a simulation of the wearing of the celluloid, a metaphor of Marilyn's vanishing after her death.
A multiple Natalie Wood made of many overlapping examples from a single image on a white background is a precursor. This canvas 210 x 160 cm painted in 1962 was sold for $ 2.76M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2000, lot 31.
Nine Marilyns was sold for $ 47M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2021, lot 19.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Nov 16, 2021
#AuctionUpdate: Featuring one of Andy Warhol’s most important muses, Andy Warhol’s ‘Nine Marilyns’ from 1962 achieves $47M.
He makes his first trials with photographs of teen stars, Natalie Wood, Troy Donahue and Warren Beatty. The sudden death of Marilyn Monroe on August 5 is a major shock to the American dream. Magazines explore frantically the last periods of her life.just at that time. Warhol appreciates that the image of the actress who had mingled tragedy and glamour was a perfect theme for the development of his art beyond cats and soup cans.
Marilyn was dazzling. Andy chooses a film still made in 1952 to exalt his new posthumous muse. He copies the same image four times, in two columns and two rows, for a total size that now would seem small, 73 x 55 cm. In addition to the nice smile, the yellow hair before the orange background is expressing that death should not take its toll on the actress.
The Quadruple Marilyn 74 x 55 cm overall that sold for $ 38M at Phillips on May 16, 2013 can be described as a prototype with two applications of screen printing, one above and one below the acrylic layer, in order to improve the contrast of the image.
The early trials do not meet the productivity required by Warhol. The series of twelve single Marilyn 51 x 41 cm are made with a single screen printing over acrylic paints of various colors. Two of these paintings are monochromatic. The White Marilyn was sold for $ 41M by Christie's on May 13, 2014. They are altogether the precursors of the global imaging desired by Warhol.
Some diversity can be reached while using indefinitely the same image, through the format, the multiplicity, the background, the contrast and the margins. The Nine Marilyns painted in 1962 by Andy Warhol has it all.
The vertical canvas 207 x 86 cm is centered without side margins by a block of nine black and white silkscreen images in three rows and three columns. The upper and lower margins highlight the luminous silver color of the whole background, which is an early direct reference by Andy to the cinema screen. The images are voluntarily more or less faded in a simulation of the wearing of the celluloid, a metaphor of Marilyn's vanishing after her death.
A multiple Natalie Wood made of many overlapping examples from a single image on a white background is a precursor. This canvas 210 x 160 cm painted in 1962 was sold for $ 2.76M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2000, lot 31.
Nine Marilyns was sold for $ 47M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2021, lot 19.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Nov 16, 2021
#AuctionUpdate: Featuring one of Andy Warhol’s most important muses, Andy Warhol’s ‘Nine Marilyns’ from 1962 achieves $47M.
- Sotheby's post announces the $47 million hammer price for Andy Warhol's 1962 silkscreen "Nine Marilyns," a vertical grid of nine fragmented portraits of Marilyn Monroe created weeks after her suicide, emphasizing themes of celebrity transience through repetition and color variation.
- The sale formed part of the Macklowe Collection auction in New York, resulting from real estate moguls Harry and Linda Macklowe's 2020 divorce settlement, which dispersed their holdings for a record $922 million across four sales.
- As one of only four vertical Marilyn canvases Warhol produced that year, "Nine Marilyns" sourced its image from a 1953 film still of Monroe in "Niagara," highlighting his innovative silkscreen technique that blurred reproduction and authenticity in Pop Art.
2 bis
masterpiece
1962 Gold Marilyn
MoMA
This series of twelve is contemporary with the Gold Marilyn currently at the MoMA, where the single silkscreen portrait surrounded by a halo occupies the center of a monumental canvas 211 x 145 cm.
That fabulous Gold Marilyn confirms that Warhol chose the theme of Marilyn through a mystical impulse and not by worldliness or desire to shock. A deep believer, he will come much later to religious iconography, preferring to show a preaching Christ rather than dying on the cross. His choice of an early picture of a Marilyn resplendent before the tragic events of her life matches the same idea.
Grok thought :
Quote
Historia National Geographic @HistoriaNG May 27, 2022
Ese mismo año, Andy Warhol realizó otra serigrafía de Monroe: "Gold Marilyn", de 211 x 144 cm, expuesta en el MoMA de Nueva York.
That fabulous Gold Marilyn confirms that Warhol chose the theme of Marilyn through a mystical impulse and not by worldliness or desire to shock. A deep believer, he will come much later to religious iconography, preferring to show a preaching Christ rather than dying on the cross. His choice of an early picture of a Marilyn resplendent before the tragic events of her life matches the same idea.
Grok thought :
Quote
Historia National Geographic @HistoriaNG May 27, 2022
Ese mismo año, Andy Warhol realizó otra serigrafía de Monroe: "Gold Marilyn", de 211 x 144 cm, expuesta en el MoMA de Nueva York.
- This post details Andy Warhol's 1962 "Gold Marilyn Monroe" silkscreen at MoMA, using gold to elevate the actress to a saint-like pop icon, derived from a 1953 publicity photo for her film "Niagara."
- As part of a thread on Warhol's Marilyn series, it examines serigraphy—a printing method enabling mass replication with unique imperfections—to critique celebrity as consumable myth, echoing Warhol's view that repetition erodes meaning.
- The thread anticipates a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court fair use case (Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith); decided 7-2 in 2023 against Warhol, the ruling limits commercial adaptations of copyrighted images, reshaping pop art's legal boundaries.
4
March-April 1962 One Dollar Bills
2009 SOLD for $ 43.7M by Sotheby's
What is more repetitive in everyday life than a banknote? At least, everyone wants it so. What could more easily attract the attention of an American middleman than his $ 1 ticket?
There is no doubt that Andy Warhol loved dollars, not just to fill his pockets but mainly as an undeniable symbol of modern America. He was also busy to create his own legend. Stories about his inspiration on this theme are certainly apocryphal.
On July 1, 2015, Sotheby's listed a wide selection of dollar paintings made by Warhol throughout his career, at first in the form of images of bills and later by more or less fanciful representations of the sign.
In early 1962 One Dollar Bill (silver certificate) is the gigantic cut down image of the front side of a one dollar bill. This casein and pencil on linen, 132 x 182 cm, was the first artwork made by Warhol on this theme and his only dollar painted entirely by hand. It is also contemporary with the series painted by hand of the variations on the soup cans. One Dollar Bill was sold for £ 21M, lot 24.
March - April 1962 is Warhol's breakthrough phase. He then operates at all scales the fruitful idea of multiples, for which he is helped by the silkscreen printing technique in two complementary ways : separation of similar works with variations of colors, and juxtaposition of identical patterns on the same work.
The monumental 200 One Dollar Bills, 203 x 234 cm, showing 200 front sides in twenty rows of ten notes each without interval was sold for $ 43.7M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2009. The image, unspectacular on the web, is shared by AuctionPublicity.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
There is no doubt that Andy Warhol loved dollars, not just to fill his pockets but mainly as an undeniable symbol of modern America. He was also busy to create his own legend. Stories about his inspiration on this theme are certainly apocryphal.
On July 1, 2015, Sotheby's listed a wide selection of dollar paintings made by Warhol throughout his career, at first in the form of images of bills and later by more or less fanciful representations of the sign.
In early 1962 One Dollar Bill (silver certificate) is the gigantic cut down image of the front side of a one dollar bill. This casein and pencil on linen, 132 x 182 cm, was the first artwork made by Warhol on this theme and his only dollar painted entirely by hand. It is also contemporary with the series painted by hand of the variations on the soup cans. One Dollar Bill was sold for £ 21M, lot 24.
March - April 1962 is Warhol's breakthrough phase. He then operates at all scales the fruitful idea of multiples, for which he is helped by the silkscreen printing technique in two complementary ways : separation of similar works with variations of colors, and juxtaposition of identical patterns on the same work.
The monumental 200 One Dollar Bills, 203 x 234 cm, showing 200 front sides in twenty rows of ten notes each without interval was sold for $ 43.7M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2009. The image, unspectacular on the web, is shared by AuctionPublicity.
Grok thought from an ArtHitParade tweet :
- The post announces the November 2009 Sotheby's auction sale of Andy Warhol's 1962 silkscreen "200 One Dollar Bills" for $43.7 million, a dramatic bidding war that underscored the era's booming art market.
- Created early in Warhol's Pop Art career, the piece repeats dollar bill images to satirize consumerism and mass production, ironically fetching a fortune that amplified its cultural commentary.
- This transaction contributed to Sotheby's contemporary art evening total exceeding $134 million, setting a benchmark for Warhol works before later sales surpassed it.
5
Men in her Life
2010 SOLD for $ 63M by Phillips de Pury
The artistic language explored by Andy Warhol in 1962 is absolutely new. Objects from the mass consumption have their place in art in the form of series because they constitute an imaginary world understandable by everybody, and too bad if it is trivial. When he appreciates the advantage of screen printing to flood the art world with his pictures, he multiplies the dollars, more precisely the images of banknotes.
The world is fake and the celebrities are ephemeral. Warhol multiplies the Marilyns after the death of the actress as if she were a new Madonna. It is not enough for him. He will attack both the artificial life of the stars and the lies of photographs and newspapers.
Precisely, an article published by Life on April 13, 1962 summarizes the pathetic trajectory of the top movie star of the moment, Liz Taylor. After two divorces, she had been the widow of Mike Todd and it is clear that her fourth marriage, with Eddie Fisher, will not last. One of the photos cut from Life had been taken at the Epsom Derby in 1957. It shows two married couples whose destinies will soon collapse, Todd and Taylor and Fisher with Debbie Reynolds.
Made in the fall of 1962, Men in her Life is a black and white silkscreen on canvas 215 x 212 cm based on that happy image which is copied 38 times in seven rows. The artist varied the contrasts, from saturated to clear. A classic reading from left to right and from top to bottom transforms this unique theme into an agonizing narration, with a gradual deterioration in the quality of the image and in its cropping and with the jagged appearance of the right edge.
The variety of contrasts and framings opens the way for the Elvis Ferus-type of the following year. The title makes the actress appear as a man-eater, anticipating the morbid atmosphere of Death and Disaster and especially the mosaics of images of Car Crash, also from 1963. Again in 1963 the seriously ill Liz will succeed Marilyn in Warhol's pantheon.
Men in her Life was sold for $ 63M by Phillips de Pury on November 8, 2010, lot 15.
Grok thought from a retroactive ArtHitParade tweet :
The world is fake and the celebrities are ephemeral. Warhol multiplies the Marilyns after the death of the actress as if she were a new Madonna. It is not enough for him. He will attack both the artificial life of the stars and the lies of photographs and newspapers.
Precisely, an article published by Life on April 13, 1962 summarizes the pathetic trajectory of the top movie star of the moment, Liz Taylor. After two divorces, she had been the widow of Mike Todd and it is clear that her fourth marriage, with Eddie Fisher, will not last. One of the photos cut from Life had been taken at the Epsom Derby in 1957. It shows two married couples whose destinies will soon collapse, Todd and Taylor and Fisher with Debbie Reynolds.
Made in the fall of 1962, Men in her Life is a black and white silkscreen on canvas 215 x 212 cm based on that happy image which is copied 38 times in seven rows. The artist varied the contrasts, from saturated to clear. A classic reading from left to right and from top to bottom transforms this unique theme into an agonizing narration, with a gradual deterioration in the quality of the image and in its cropping and with the jagged appearance of the right edge.
The variety of contrasts and framings opens the way for the Elvis Ferus-type of the following year. The title makes the actress appear as a man-eater, anticipating the morbid atmosphere of Death and Disaster and especially the mosaics of images of Car Crash, also from 1963. Again in 1963 the seriously ill Liz will succeed Marilyn in Warhol's pantheon.
Men in her Life was sold for $ 63M by Phillips de Pury on November 8, 2010, lot 15.
Grok thought from a retroactive ArtHitParade tweet :
- This 2020 post by @ArtHitParade spotlights Andy Warhol's 1962 silkscreen "Men in Her Life," a black-and-white depiction of Elizabeth Taylor, sold for $63.4 million at Phillips in 2010 to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
- The artwork captures Warhol's early fascination with Hollywood glamour and serial imagery, using a publicity still to comment on celebrity transience amid Taylor's tumultuous personal life.
- At the time, the sale shattered Warhol records, reflecting a booming market for Pop Art icons, with the piece later valued higher in private collections amid sustained auction highs for similar celebrity portraits.
1962 Femme au Chien by Picasso
2019 SOLD for $ 55M by Sotheby's
Picasso changes his life. In March 1961 he marries Jacqueline, his muse since 1954. Pablo is 80 years old, she is 35. In June the newlyweds leave Cannes to settle in Mougins.
In their vast Provençal mas, they manage to have an ordinary life. Both love dogs. The dachshund Lump has been rejoined since 1960 by an Afghan hound named Kaboul who becomes Jacqueline's favorite. Pablo executes no less than six oil paintings on the theme of Jacqueline and her kind dog.
On May 14, 2019, Sotheby's sold for $ 55M from a lower estimate of $ 25M Femme au chien, oil on canvas 162 x 130 cm painted in 1962, lot 33. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The woman is seated. Kaboul stands on his four high legs. These two characters are in a static attitude. The position of Jacqueline's hands displays a quiet closeness.
Curiously their graphic processing is different. Kaboul is almost realistic, except that his haggard eyes and slight smile are not indeed marks of intelligence. The woman's face is unstructured in four angles of view. The left eye and the mouth are inserted in two opposite profiles. The right eye is seen from full front and the portrait is completed on the right side by the profile of an abundant ponytail.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's Institute @SothebysInst Jul 30, 2019
Watch as bidders battled for Pablo Picasso’s "Femme au chien," which set a new record high for a 1960s era Picasso when it achieved $54.9 million during the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale at @Sotheby's #NYC earlier this year.
In their vast Provençal mas, they manage to have an ordinary life. Both love dogs. The dachshund Lump has been rejoined since 1960 by an Afghan hound named Kaboul who becomes Jacqueline's favorite. Pablo executes no less than six oil paintings on the theme of Jacqueline and her kind dog.
On May 14, 2019, Sotheby's sold for $ 55M from a lower estimate of $ 25M Femme au chien, oil on canvas 162 x 130 cm painted in 1962, lot 33. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The woman is seated. Kaboul stands on his four high legs. These two characters are in a static attitude. The position of Jacqueline's hands displays a quiet closeness.
Curiously their graphic processing is different. Kaboul is almost realistic, except that his haggard eyes and slight smile are not indeed marks of intelligence. The woman's face is unstructured in four angles of view. The left eye and the mouth are inserted in two opposite profiles. The right eye is seen from full front and the portrait is completed on the right side by the profile of an abundant ponytail.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's Institute @SothebysInst Jul 30, 2019
Watch as bidders battled for Pablo Picasso’s "Femme au chien," which set a new record high for a 1960s era Picasso when it achieved $54.9 million during the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale at @Sotheby's #NYC earlier this year.
- This 2019 post from Sotheby's Institute captures the high-stakes bidding for Pablo Picasso's 1962 "Femme au chien," which sold for $54.9 million—establishing and maintaining the auction record for 1960s-era Picasso works through 2025.
- The video depicts tense auction moments, including phone bidders gesturing urgently and auctioneer Oliver Barker commanding the room, illustrating the competitive fervor of the Impressionist & Modern Art sale.
- Featuring Picasso's second wife Jacqueline Roque and her poodle in a vibrant cubist style, the painting's success underscores sustained demand for his late-period portraits, exceeding its $25-30 million estimate by over 80%.
1962 Leda and the Swan by Twombly
2017 SOLD for $ 53M by Christie's
Cy Twombly visits Italy for the second time in 1957. He perceives that Rome is still retaining the traces of the carnal violence of its mythology and of its antique history, in its monuments and their graffiti but also in the tradition transmitted through all these centuries by poets and artists.
He then went to live semi-permanently in Rome where he developed his new style which simultaneously exacerbated all the passions : erotic, pornographic, criminal, scatological. He tries to feel by himself all these impulses in a semi-automatic creative act for which he paints directly with his hands and adds his own graffiti.
The rape of Leda by Jupiter in the form of a swan is for him a complete theme, with his sexual act that generates a mythical fecundity.
In 1962 Twombly executed two Leda and the Swan in the same format 191 x 200 cm certainly chosen to give an idea of the life size representation of this scuffle in an abstraction mixing the illusion of bodies and feathers. One of them is exhibited in the Museum Of Modern Art in New York. The other was sold for $ 53M from a lower estimate of $ 35M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 6 B.
The comparison between both works is significant. Their similar explosion demonstrates that the artist's scripture, although based on an impulsive gesture, responds to a pre-defined global conception. The MoMA's Leda is more complete because it includes the usual graffiti missing in the version offered at auction. In both cases in the upper part of the image the small drawing of a modern window appears, symbolizing the artist's message about the timeless character of the passions.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 18, 2017
Leda and the Swan by Cy Twombly sells for $52,887,500 http://bit.ly/2qsOjpU
He then went to live semi-permanently in Rome where he developed his new style which simultaneously exacerbated all the passions : erotic, pornographic, criminal, scatological. He tries to feel by himself all these impulses in a semi-automatic creative act for which he paints directly with his hands and adds his own graffiti.
The rape of Leda by Jupiter in the form of a swan is for him a complete theme, with his sexual act that generates a mythical fecundity.
In 1962 Twombly executed two Leda and the Swan in the same format 191 x 200 cm certainly chosen to give an idea of the life size representation of this scuffle in an abstraction mixing the illusion of bodies and feathers. One of them is exhibited in the Museum Of Modern Art in New York. The other was sold for $ 53M from a lower estimate of $ 35M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 6 B.
The comparison between both works is significant. Their similar explosion demonstrates that the artist's scripture, although based on an impulsive gesture, responds to a pre-defined global conception. The MoMA's Leda is more complete because it includes the usual graffiti missing in the version offered at auction. In both cases in the upper part of the image the small drawing of a modern window appears, symbolizing the artist's message about the timeless character of the passions.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 18, 2017
Leda and the Swan by Cy Twombly sells for $52,887,500 http://bit.ly/2qsOjpU
- Christie's 2017 post announces the $52.9 million sale of Cy Twombly's 1962 abstract painting "Leda and the Swan," which topped the evening's Post-War and Contemporary auction and set a record for 1960s-era artworks.
- The painting reinterprets the Greek myth of Leda's seduction by Zeus as a swan through Twombly's gestural scribbles in white, gray, and red on canvas, evoking mythological passion via chaotic lines and loops.
- This blockbuster result, within a $448 million auction total, underscored Twombly's market strength, with the work's presale estimate of $35–55 million reflecting surging demand for mid-century American abstraction.
1962 Study from Innocent X by Bacon
2007 SOLD for $ 53M by Sotheby's
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. To feed art rather than controversy, he then opted for a socially less destructive amalgam between the Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Velazquez and the scream from Eisenstein's Potemkin.
During the 1950s Francis retains from Innocent X the psychosis of a human being who has been given a preeminent role far beyond his abilities. His screaming Popes from that time, in bust or half-length on a dark background, are irremediably locked on their thrones.
Around 1960 his desires change. It is the good life in Soho. He interprets the ugliness of his friends through the photos by John Deakin. His Popes are becoming rarer.
Francis only knew Velazquez's Innocent X from chromos, but he appreciates that the color palette contributes greatly to the psychological effect. Seated Figure, oil on canvas 153 x 119 cm painted in 1960, is more directly inspired by Velazquez for the petrified position of the character and for its new dominant red. It was sold for $ 45M by Christie's on November 12, 2014.
An oil on canvas 198 x 142 cm painted in 1962 is even more explicit. The title, Study from Innocent X, even lost the ambiguity that Francis loved so much. The composition is enlarged compared to Velazquez and to Seated Figure, staging the whole scene in an empty room. The curled-up man is locked with his seat in the filiform cage that Francis used to display humans to monkeys.
Study from Innocent X was sold for $ 53M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2007, lot 22.
Asking Grok to define significance in the career of the artist.
Grok thought :
Francis Bacon's "Study from Innocent X" (1962) represents a pivotal culmination in his renowned "Popes" series, comprising around 50 works created between 1949 and 1971 that obsessively reinterpreted Diego Velázquez's 1650 "Portrait of Pope Innocent X." As one of Bacon's most direct engagements with the Old Master tradition, it marked a bold evolution in his approach: it was the first in the series to fully adopt Velázquez's fiery red color palette (vivid orange-red robes and maroon drapery), presenting a full-length, enthroned papal figure distorted into a grimacing, anguished form evoking existential isolation and modern psychological torment. The face draws from a silent scream in Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 film "Battleship Potemkin," rendered with violent impasto and brushstrokes to convey raw human vulnerability beneath symbols of power—a hallmark of Bacon's mature style that bridged figurative expressionism and post-war existentialism.
Created amid Bacon's rising prominence, the painting was swiftly included in his first major retrospective at the Tate Gallery in London (1962–1963, traveling internationally), affirming his status as a leading 20th-century artist capable of reinventing historical motifs to capture contemporary anguish. Its significance is further underscored by Bacon's inability to borrow it for his triumphant 1971 Grand Palais exhibition in Paris, prompting him to paint a second version ("Study of Red Pope 1962. 2nd Version 1971")—his final "pope" work—which encapsulated personal turmoil from his relationship with lover George Dyer. The 1962 original thus not only epitomized Bacon's thematic obsessions but also influenced his later output, solidifying his legacy as a master of distorted portraiture.
The work's 2007 sale at Sotheby's New York (May 15, lot 22) for $52.68 million set a then-record for Bacon at auction, reflecting his escalating market recognition and the painting's status as an "ultimate Pope image" in his oeuvre.
During the 1950s Francis retains from Innocent X the psychosis of a human being who has been given a preeminent role far beyond his abilities. His screaming Popes from that time, in bust or half-length on a dark background, are irremediably locked on their thrones.
Around 1960 his desires change. It is the good life in Soho. He interprets the ugliness of his friends through the photos by John Deakin. His Popes are becoming rarer.
Francis only knew Velazquez's Innocent X from chromos, but he appreciates that the color palette contributes greatly to the psychological effect. Seated Figure, oil on canvas 153 x 119 cm painted in 1960, is more directly inspired by Velazquez for the petrified position of the character and for its new dominant red. It was sold for $ 45M by Christie's on November 12, 2014.
An oil on canvas 198 x 142 cm painted in 1962 is even more explicit. The title, Study from Innocent X, even lost the ambiguity that Francis loved so much. The composition is enlarged compared to Velazquez and to Seated Figure, staging the whole scene in an empty room. The curled-up man is locked with his seat in the filiform cage that Francis used to display humans to monkeys.
Study from Innocent X was sold for $ 53M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2007, lot 22.
Asking Grok to define significance in the career of the artist.
Grok thought :
Francis Bacon's "Study from Innocent X" (1962) represents a pivotal culmination in his renowned "Popes" series, comprising around 50 works created between 1949 and 1971 that obsessively reinterpreted Diego Velázquez's 1650 "Portrait of Pope Innocent X." As one of Bacon's most direct engagements with the Old Master tradition, it marked a bold evolution in his approach: it was the first in the series to fully adopt Velázquez's fiery red color palette (vivid orange-red robes and maroon drapery), presenting a full-length, enthroned papal figure distorted into a grimacing, anguished form evoking existential isolation and modern psychological torment. The face draws from a silent scream in Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 film "Battleship Potemkin," rendered with violent impasto and brushstrokes to convey raw human vulnerability beneath symbols of power—a hallmark of Bacon's mature style that bridged figurative expressionism and post-war existentialism.
Created amid Bacon's rising prominence, the painting was swiftly included in his first major retrospective at the Tate Gallery in London (1962–1963, traveling internationally), affirming his status as a leading 20th-century artist capable of reinventing historical motifs to capture contemporary anguish. Its significance is further underscored by Bacon's inability to borrow it for his triumphant 1971 Grand Palais exhibition in Paris, prompting him to paint a second version ("Study of Red Pope 1962. 2nd Version 1971")—his final "pope" work—which encapsulated personal turmoil from his relationship with lover George Dyer. The 1962 original thus not only epitomized Bacon's thematic obsessions but also influenced his later output, solidifying his legacy as a master of distorted portraiture.
The work's 2007 sale at Sotheby's New York (May 15, lot 22) for $52.68 million set a then-record for Bacon at auction, reflecting his escalating market recognition and the painting's status as an "ultimate Pope image" in his oeuvre.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
2018 SOLD for $ 48M by RM Sotheby's
It is not enough to be the prettiest berlinetta of its time to win Grand Touring competitions, especially when Jaguar, Aston Martin and Shelby apply ambitious development programs. The Ferrari 250 GT SWB is no longer competitive with its oblique front that lifts at 250 km/h.
A team around Giotto Bizzarrini designs a low body with a tapered front hood. To facilitate the homologation, the new chassis has the same size as the SWB. The studies are validated in wind tunnel. The lowered engine remains a 3-liter Colombo V12 while incorporating several improvements from the 250 TR.
Thus was born the 250 GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) at the beginning of 1962, coachworked as a berlinetta by Scaglietti. Its perfect geometry has also been improved after wind tunnel tests.. 33 cars are built in 1962 and 1963 according to this first model, which is a high figure for a commercial upscale Ferrari. They immediately dominate endurance and hill competitions. However Bizzarrini had left the company after a disagreement with Enzo Ferrari.
Extremely competitive without being exceptionally rare, the 250 GTO is the preferred model of the auto enthusiasts from the high society, functioning as an informal club with media covered exclusive meetings. Cars are transmitted like a talisman by each owner to his handpicked successor. 28 units remain with the 3-litre engine from its original design.
Coming from a deceased estate, a 250 GTO which had not changed hands for nearly half a century was sold by Bonhams on August 14, 2014 for $ 38M, lot 3.
This car has accumulated an interesting competition record after a bad start. Made in 1962, it was much damaged at Montlhéry on October 7 of the same year, killing one of its co-owners the ski champion Henri Oreiller. Repaired in 1963 at a time when the production chain of the 250 GTO was in full operation, it is an authentic unit.
The technological challenge goes on. The approval of the 250 LM will be refused. While waiting for better days, Ferrari requires Mauro Forghieri and his team to modify the 250 GTO according to the aerodynamic improvement of the LM. Three 250 GTO Series II are built in 1964.
Four Series I cars are upgraded in 1964 to the Series II specifications. One of them was sold for $ 48M by RM Sotheby's on August 25, 2018, lot 247. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This car had been in 1962 the third GTO produced. Tested in May by Phil Hill at the Targa Florio, it is sold by Ferrari a few days later to a friend of Enzo Ferrari, Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi, who gets excellent results in hill climbing with this car. In April 1964 Corrado Ferlaino leads it to First In Class in the Targa Florio, thus brilliantly validating the transitory concept of the Series II.
The price of a Ferrari 250 GTO depends on its results in period and on its crash history. The car for sale was not damaged. For reasons of preservation, the original engine was removed a few years ago. It is sold with the car.
In May 2018 a price of $ 70M in a private transaction was reported for a 250 GTO with a better race history including the victory at the 1964 Tour de France.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Jun 20, 2018
#NEWS: We're absolutely thrilled to announce the most valuable car ever offered at auction: the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis no. 3413GT! A wonderfully original example with impeccable provenance, this #Ferrari's next stop is #RMMonterey! http://bit.ly/250GTO18
A team around Giotto Bizzarrini designs a low body with a tapered front hood. To facilitate the homologation, the new chassis has the same size as the SWB. The studies are validated in wind tunnel. The lowered engine remains a 3-liter Colombo V12 while incorporating several improvements from the 250 TR.
Thus was born the 250 GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) at the beginning of 1962, coachworked as a berlinetta by Scaglietti. Its perfect geometry has also been improved after wind tunnel tests.. 33 cars are built in 1962 and 1963 according to this first model, which is a high figure for a commercial upscale Ferrari. They immediately dominate endurance and hill competitions. However Bizzarrini had left the company after a disagreement with Enzo Ferrari.
Extremely competitive without being exceptionally rare, the 250 GTO is the preferred model of the auto enthusiasts from the high society, functioning as an informal club with media covered exclusive meetings. Cars are transmitted like a talisman by each owner to his handpicked successor. 28 units remain with the 3-litre engine from its original design.
Coming from a deceased estate, a 250 GTO which had not changed hands for nearly half a century was sold by Bonhams on August 14, 2014 for $ 38M, lot 3.
This car has accumulated an interesting competition record after a bad start. Made in 1962, it was much damaged at Montlhéry on October 7 of the same year, killing one of its co-owners the ski champion Henri Oreiller. Repaired in 1963 at a time when the production chain of the 250 GTO was in full operation, it is an authentic unit.
The technological challenge goes on. The approval of the 250 LM will be refused. While waiting for better days, Ferrari requires Mauro Forghieri and his team to modify the 250 GTO according to the aerodynamic improvement of the LM. Three 250 GTO Series II are built in 1964.
Four Series I cars are upgraded in 1964 to the Series II specifications. One of them was sold for $ 48M by RM Sotheby's on August 25, 2018, lot 247. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This car had been in 1962 the third GTO produced. Tested in May by Phil Hill at the Targa Florio, it is sold by Ferrari a few days later to a friend of Enzo Ferrari, Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi, who gets excellent results in hill climbing with this car. In April 1964 Corrado Ferlaino leads it to First In Class in the Targa Florio, thus brilliantly validating the transitory concept of the Series II.
The price of a Ferrari 250 GTO depends on its results in period and on its crash history. The car for sale was not damaged. For reasons of preservation, the original engine was removed a few years ago. It is sold with the car.
In May 2018 a price of $ 70M in a private transaction was reported for a 250 GTO with a better race history including the victory at the 1964 Tour de France.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Jun 20, 2018
#NEWS: We're absolutely thrilled to announce the most valuable car ever offered at auction: the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO chassis no. 3413GT! A wonderfully original example with impeccable provenance, this #Ferrari's next stop is #RMMonterey! http://bit.ly/250GTO18
- This 2018 RM Sotheby's post announces the consignment of chassis 3413GT, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO with Targa Florio class-winning history and original patina, as the priciest car ever auctioned at that point, destined for their Monterey sale.
- The car sold for $48.4 million in August 2018, shattering records as the "holy grail" of Ferraris due to its racing pedigree and scarcity—only 36 GTOs were built—though a 2023 sale later topped it.
- The post's image captures the car's sleek red Berlinetta profile with number 23, parked on a forested track, highlighting its preserved authenticity and evoking 1960s endurance racing allure.
1962 Ferrari 330 LM
2023 SOLD for $ 52M by Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's
While Ferrari was developing the 250 GTO with a 3 liter engine, the FIA once again changed some rules for the 1962 season, introducing the new International Championship of Manufacturers exclusively applicable to GT production car racing classes. Larger displacement prototype race cars would be allowed to participate in some events, but not for points.
Ferrari was certainly not appealed as they built a single 4 liter example in 1962, to be used as a works car. Assembled with the 250 GTO chassis and body, this car is referred as the 330 LM or sometimes the 330 GTO.
It was raced twice in 1962 by the Scuderia Ferrari, finishing second overall and first in class at the 1000 km Nürburgring and not finishing at the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was sold in 1962 to a privateer who changed the engine to a 250 P in the next year. Finished in rosso cina, it was sold for $ 52M in a single lot auction by Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's on November 13, 2023. It had won the Best of Show of the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
A similar GTO was made in 1963, in parallel to a series of four 330 LMB with a body similar to the 250 Lusso. It was rebuilt in 1965 after a heavy road accident.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Oct 19, 2023
One of one. This 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO is the answer for those seeking the most rare and precious of cars. Offered for the first time in 38 years, this one-of-a-kind GTO comes with a remarkably storied history. For more of its illustrious saga: https://bit.ly/3KHhYVm
Ferrari was certainly not appealed as they built a single 4 liter example in 1962, to be used as a works car. Assembled with the 250 GTO chassis and body, this car is referred as the 330 LM or sometimes the 330 GTO.
It was raced twice in 1962 by the Scuderia Ferrari, finishing second overall and first in class at the 1000 km Nürburgring and not finishing at the 24 hours of Le Mans. It was sold in 1962 to a privateer who changed the engine to a 250 P in the next year. Finished in rosso cina, it was sold for $ 52M in a single lot auction by Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's on November 13, 2023. It had won the Best of Show of the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
A similar GTO was made in 1963, in parallel to a series of four 330 LMB with a body similar to the 250 Lusso. It was rebuilt in 1965 after a heavy road accident.
Grok thought :
Quote
RM Sotheby's @rmsothebys Oct 19, 2023
One of one. This 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO is the answer for those seeking the most rare and precious of cars. Offered for the first time in 38 years, this one-of-a-kind GTO comes with a remarkably storied history. For more of its illustrious saga: https://bit.ly/3KHhYVm
- This post promotes the 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO (chassis 3765), the sole factory-raced example of its kind by Scuderia Ferrari, which secured a class victory and second overall at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 KM driven by Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini.
- The accompanying video showcases the car's elegant curves, V12 engine, and period racing livery while driving scenic roads, building hype for its first public auction in 38 years with the tagline "One Lifetime. One Car. One Chance."
- Auctioned by RM Sotheby's on November 13, 2023, in New York, it fetched $51.7 million, shattering the prior Ferrari auction record by over $3 million and highlighting the GTO series' unmatched desirability among collectors.
1962 No. 1 by Rothko
2022 SOLD for $ 50M by Christie's
In 1961 Mark Rothko tries his mind in the expressive radiance of rare hues of red and of adjacent colors in vertical arrangements of his signature rectangles, in a renewed approach to the mesmerizing illusion of space.
That comes of course in the follow of his 1954 admiration for Matisse's L'Atelier Rouge, but an influence from Monet's abstract trends in his later works may also be considered just after the great 1960 Monet exhibition at the MoMA.
The dimensions of his canvases have increased and are standardized. The rectangles occupy almost all the available surface, over a negligible neutral background. Most significantly, the preferred color of the artist is now the most vibrant of them : red.
1962 No. 1, oil on canvas 175 x 152 cm, was sold for $ 50M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 5C. It had been used as a pendant by Mrs Bass with the 1961 Untitled (Shades of Red) of same height and similar width, sold for $ 67M in the same sale, lot 4C.
Listed as the first painting executed by the artist in that year, this iridescent artwork features a tall nearly square central field of intense orange surrounded by narrow bands of deeper saturated red and orange.
These colors fighting for dominance and waning to the serene pale ground at the edges of the fields may be considered as a fair demonstrator of the artist's lifelong influence from Nietzsche's dramatic human duality between force and chaos.
Asking Grok for the significance of this specific artwork in the career of the artist.
Grok thought :
Mark Rothko's "No. 1" (1962) exemplifies the pinnacle of his mature abstract expressionist style, marking the first canvas he completed in a year widely regarded as one of the most productive and vibrant periods of his career. During this time, Rothko was at the height of his creative powers, having fully refined his signature color field technique after transitioning from surrealist influences in the 1940s and multiform abstractions in the late 1940s to the large-scale, stacked rectangular forms that defined his work from 1949 onward. The painting's intense orange-dominated composition, with its floating bands of red and orange hues, captures the "immediate radiance" Rothko sought—creating an immersive, almost tangible presence that evokes basic human emotions like tragedy, ecstasy, and doom, much like the sun's warmth on one's back.
In the broader context of Rothko's career, 1962 represented a pivotal juncture where he produced some of his most vital and vivacious paintings, blending technical mastery with profound philosophical undertones. Influenced by Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, the work embodies a tension between Apollonian order (structured forms and balance) and Dionysian chaos (shimmering, unstable color interactions), breaking down traditional artistic barriers to foster a near-religious viewer experience. Rothko's layered application of thin, translucent pigments—burnished and scoured for an iridescent effect—highlights his innovative approach to surface and edge, where colors dissolve and interact to stage an "abstract theater of emotions and ideas." This piece also aligns with key events in 1962, such as his agreement to create the Harvard murals and his critical response to emerging pop art, underscoring his established status amid shifting art world dynamics.
Unlike his later, darker works from the mid-to-late 1960s (such as the Black-Form series), "No. 1" reflects the experiential optimism and chromatic intensity of his peak years, before personal struggles led to more somber tones. Its sale at Christie's in 2022 for $49,625,000 affirms its enduring value as a cornerstone of Rothko's oeuvre, embodying his lifelong pursuit of transcending illusion to reveal emotional truth through flat, unequivocal forms.
That comes of course in the follow of his 1954 admiration for Matisse's L'Atelier Rouge, but an influence from Monet's abstract trends in his later works may also be considered just after the great 1960 Monet exhibition at the MoMA.
The dimensions of his canvases have increased and are standardized. The rectangles occupy almost all the available surface, over a negligible neutral background. Most significantly, the preferred color of the artist is now the most vibrant of them : red.
1962 No. 1, oil on canvas 175 x 152 cm, was sold for $ 50M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 5C. It had been used as a pendant by Mrs Bass with the 1961 Untitled (Shades of Red) of same height and similar width, sold for $ 67M in the same sale, lot 4C.
Listed as the first painting executed by the artist in that year, this iridescent artwork features a tall nearly square central field of intense orange surrounded by narrow bands of deeper saturated red and orange.
These colors fighting for dominance and waning to the serene pale ground at the edges of the fields may be considered as a fair demonstrator of the artist's lifelong influence from Nietzsche's dramatic human duality between force and chaos.
Asking Grok for the significance of this specific artwork in the career of the artist.
Grok thought :
Mark Rothko's "No. 1" (1962) exemplifies the pinnacle of his mature abstract expressionist style, marking the first canvas he completed in a year widely regarded as one of the most productive and vibrant periods of his career. During this time, Rothko was at the height of his creative powers, having fully refined his signature color field technique after transitioning from surrealist influences in the 1940s and multiform abstractions in the late 1940s to the large-scale, stacked rectangular forms that defined his work from 1949 onward. The painting's intense orange-dominated composition, with its floating bands of red and orange hues, captures the "immediate radiance" Rothko sought—creating an immersive, almost tangible presence that evokes basic human emotions like tragedy, ecstasy, and doom, much like the sun's warmth on one's back.
In the broader context of Rothko's career, 1962 represented a pivotal juncture where he produced some of his most vital and vivacious paintings, blending technical mastery with profound philosophical undertones. Influenced by Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, the work embodies a tension between Apollonian order (structured forms and balance) and Dionysian chaos (shimmering, unstable color interactions), breaking down traditional artistic barriers to foster a near-religious viewer experience. Rothko's layered application of thin, translucent pigments—burnished and scoured for an iridescent effect—highlights his innovative approach to surface and edge, where colors dissolve and interact to stage an "abstract theater of emotions and ideas." This piece also aligns with key events in 1962, such as his agreement to create the Harvard murals and his critical response to emerging pop art, underscoring his established status amid shifting art world dynamics.
Unlike his later, darker works from the mid-to-late 1960s (such as the Black-Form series), "No. 1" reflects the experiential optimism and chromatic intensity of his peak years, before personal struggles led to more somber tones. Its sale at Christie's in 2022 for $49,625,000 affirms its enduring value as a cornerstone of Rothko's oeuvre, embodying his lifelong pursuit of transcending illusion to reveal emotional truth through flat, unequivocal forms.
