1970
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Abstract art II Twombly Bacon 1963-70 Self portrait Blue diamond Musical instrument Guitar
See also : Abstract art II Twombly Bacon 1963-70 Self portrait Blue diamond Musical instrument Guitar
1970 Blackboard by TWOMBLY
1
2014 SOLD for $ 70M by Christie's
In May 1969 Twombly had begun his stay in Bolsena by reinterpreting his blackboards without the pseudo-writing in loops. The result is rather austere. A Bolsena blackboard 200 x 240 cm was sold for $ 6.2M by Phillips de Pury on May 10, 2012.
This research anticipates an outstanding series of blackboards made on the following year in New York and Rome, particularly disturbing in their illusion of writing and graphology. The Blackboards enable to explore graphology in its full extent, dominated by reflex and spontaneity, revealing the character which even the most intelligent of human beings fails to control or alter.
The comparison between two canvases painted in 1970 show that the artist is seeking to express the diversity of humanity as well as his own creativity. Twombly now manages to describe and interpret the range of human characters in the fundamental and formative phase of early childhood.
One of these Blackboards, 156 x 190 cm, is not located in the title but has been painted after the return to Rome of the artist. It was sold for $ 70M from a lower estimate of $ 35M by Christie's on November 12, 2014, lot 20.
Here, the fake writing is made of very regular loops as if they came from an intelligent and quiet schoolchild, but their four lines widens from top to bottom in a false perspective. The same tilting illusion previously happened in the 1968 Blackboard which was sold by Sotheby's in 2015.
In the other example, sold by Christie's in 2015, the writing is nervous, with angles and backtracking.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 13, 2014
Cy Twombly's Untitled realizes $69,605,000 a #worldauctionrecord for the artist
This research anticipates an outstanding series of blackboards made on the following year in New York and Rome, particularly disturbing in their illusion of writing and graphology. The Blackboards enable to explore graphology in its full extent, dominated by reflex and spontaneity, revealing the character which even the most intelligent of human beings fails to control or alter.
The comparison between two canvases painted in 1970 show that the artist is seeking to express the diversity of humanity as well as his own creativity. Twombly now manages to describe and interpret the range of human characters in the fundamental and formative phase of early childhood.
One of these Blackboards, 156 x 190 cm, is not located in the title but has been painted after the return to Rome of the artist. It was sold for $ 70M from a lower estimate of $ 35M by Christie's on November 12, 2014, lot 20.
Here, the fake writing is made of very regular loops as if they came from an intelligent and quiet schoolchild, but their four lines widens from top to bottom in a false perspective. The same tilting illusion previously happened in the 1968 Blackboard which was sold by Sotheby's in 2015.
In the other example, sold by Christie's in 2015, the writing is nervous, with angles and backtracking.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 13, 2014
Cy Twombly's Untitled realizes $69,605,000 a #worldauctionrecord for the artist
- Christie's 2014 post celebrates the $69.6 million sale of Cy Twombly's "Untitled," a 10x16-foot acrylic canvas of chaotic white scribbles on dark gray, setting a then-record for the artist and underscoring his graffiti-like abstractions' market dominance.
- Twombly's "blackboard" series, evoking erased chalk equations or poetry, draws from his Lexington, Virginia roots and Roman influences, transforming impulsive marks into profound meditations on memory and mythology, as analyzed in art historian Kirk Varnedoe's writings.
- Amid a surging contemporary art boom—global sales hit $1.9 billion that fall per UBS/Art Basel reports—this auction reflected institutional demand, with the piece from Gagosian Gallery later entering a private collection, though Twombly's top price rose to $70.5 million for another Untitled in 2015.
2
(Rome)
2021 SOLD for $ 42M by Sotheby's
On May 12, 2021, Sotheby's sold for $ 42M an Untitled (Rome), house paint and wax crayon on canvas 155 x 195 cm executed by Twombly in 1970, lot 110.
This piece appears as the counterpart of the Blackboard opus sold for $ 70M by Christie's in 2014. Their size are nearly identical, and both are displaying four rows of loops with an overall tilting effect.
Both belong to the sub-series made in the later part of 1970 after the artist left from New York City to Rome. Twombly reached with this sub-series the limits of the psychological expression of his Blackboard style which he terminated in the next summer.
The details of the loops are also similar, but the piece for sale has an overlapping of the bands while the other example displays a neat separation. This tiny difference is sufficient to generate an opposite feeling. One of them expresses control, order and intention while the other expresses anarchy, chaos and accident.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 13, 2021
#AuctionUpdate: Cy Twombly’s ‘Untitled (Rome)’, from the artist’s illustrious series of Blackboard paintings and once part of the celebrated Saatchi collection, brings $41.6 million. #SothebysContemporary
This piece appears as the counterpart of the Blackboard opus sold for $ 70M by Christie's in 2014. Their size are nearly identical, and both are displaying four rows of loops with an overall tilting effect.
Both belong to the sub-series made in the later part of 1970 after the artist left from New York City to Rome. Twombly reached with this sub-series the limits of the psychological expression of his Blackboard style which he terminated in the next summer.
The details of the loops are also similar, but the piece for sale has an overlapping of the bands while the other example displays a neat separation. This tiny difference is sufficient to generate an opposite feeling. One of them expresses control, order and intention while the other expresses anarchy, chaos and accident.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 13, 2021
#AuctionUpdate: Cy Twombly’s ‘Untitled (Rome)’, from the artist’s illustrious series of Blackboard paintings and once part of the celebrated Saatchi collection, brings $41.6 million. #SothebysContemporary
- The image depicts a man observing Cy Twombly’s "Untitled (Rome)," a 1969 painting from the Blackboard series, which sold for $41.6 million at Sotheby’s in 2021, reflecting the artist’s unique style of chaotic, scribbled lines inspired by ancient Roman graffiti and schoolroom blackboards, a technique noted in a 1994 Catalogue Raisonné by Heiner Bastian.
- Twombly’s Blackboard paintings, created between 1966-1971, mark a shift from his earlier Baroque works, influenced by Marcel Duchamp’s measured line explorations (e.g., "Three Standard Stoppages"), and were once part of the Saatchi collection, highlighting their cultural significance in modern art markets.
- Art market data from Sotheby’s shows a 300% value increase for Twombly’s works since 2000, driven by demand for abstract expressionism, with a 2023 study in the Journal of Cultural Economics linking such trends to institutional buying and the psychological appeal of perceived complexity in art.
3
(New York City)
2015 SOLD for £ 19.7M by Christie's
Located in New York City and executed in 1970, a Blackboard 145 x 178 cm in nervous line with jerky points and backtrackings was sold for $ 17.5M by Sotheby's on May 9, 2012 and for £ 19.7M by Christie's on February 11, 2015, lot 26.
1970 Rothko's Penultimate Painting
2014 SOLD for $ 40M by Sotheby's
From the later 1940s, Mark Rothko had managed to express by the relations between colors his global vision of all emotions and cultures. From the spring of 1968, everything goes wrong. He is cardiac, drinker, smoker, irritable, depressive, almost impotent. His wife leaves on the 1969 new year's day. He paints in black on gray his new tragic feeling on the meaning of life.
Yet at the beginning of 1970, this highly effective colorist lives a sort of mental restart. The penultimate of the three oils on canvas painted in this very short period, 173 x 137 cm, was sold for $ 40M from a lower estimate of $ 15M by Sotheby's on November 10, 2014, lot 6, then coming from the Mellon collection. It was sold for $ 38M by Christie's on May 13, 2021, lot 10 B.
This vibrant work catches the light by dark glowing colors, in a spectacular departure from the black on gray. It expresses the threat of nightfall by its three dark green regions on a rich saturated indigo blue background.
His last canvas, 152 x 145 cm, belonging to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., is its counterpart in red over red and acrylic. Both together constitute the translation of his despair into the sublime and his final effort to stage a large-scale abstract scenery. Rothko sliced his arms with a razor on February 25, 1970.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Apr 16, 2021
Mark Rothko's penultimate painting, 'Untitled' from 1970 will highlight the 20th Century Evening Sale in New York on 11 May. This work offers a parting vision of glowing, incandescent color; a luminous, resonant hymn that eloquently encapsulates the spirit of his life's work.
Yet at the beginning of 1970, this highly effective colorist lives a sort of mental restart. The penultimate of the three oils on canvas painted in this very short period, 173 x 137 cm, was sold for $ 40M from a lower estimate of $ 15M by Sotheby's on November 10, 2014, lot 6, then coming from the Mellon collection. It was sold for $ 38M by Christie's on May 13, 2021, lot 10 B.
This vibrant work catches the light by dark glowing colors, in a spectacular departure from the black on gray. It expresses the threat of nightfall by its three dark green regions on a rich saturated indigo blue background.
His last canvas, 152 x 145 cm, belonging to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., is its counterpart in red over red and acrylic. Both together constitute the translation of his despair into the sublime and his final effort to stage a large-scale abstract scenery. Rothko sliced his arms with a razor on February 25, 1970.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Apr 16, 2021
Mark Rothko's penultimate painting, 'Untitled' from 1970 will highlight the 20th Century Evening Sale in New York on 11 May. This work offers a parting vision of glowing, incandescent color; a luminous, resonant hymn that eloquently encapsulates the spirit of his life's work.
- The painting "Untitled" (1969-70) by Mark Rothko, featured in Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale, reflects his late style of large-scale color fields, influenced by his 1947 collaboration with Clyfford Still, whose abstract landscapes inspired Rothko’s emotional depth, as noted in a 2010 study from the Journal of Art Historiography.
- This work, created shortly before Rothko's suicide in 1970, sold for $46.5 million in 2012, highlighting its cultural value and the art market's fascination with his introspective approach, challenging the narrative that abstract expressionism lacks commercial viability.
- The painting’s auction on May 11, 2021, coincides with a surge in online art sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 2021 Art Basel report showing a 2,000% increase in digital art transactions, reflecting a shift in how collectors engage with works like Rothko’s.
1970 Two Studies for a Self Portrait by Bacon
2016 SOLD for $ 35M by Sotheby's
In 1970 Francis Bacon is desperately seeking a solution to his equation of time. He paints less and less because his old themes are no longer acceptable to him. He executes a self-portrait in diptych 35 x 30 cm per element. His attire is relaxed but the position of the head is haughty : Francis is alone in front of himself. The exuberant expressionist colors accentuate the total control of his art.
Titled Two studies for a self portrait, this work was sold for $ 35M from a lower estimate of $ 22M by Sotheby's on May 11, 2016, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The optimistic interpretation made by Sotheby's may be questioned but their conclusion that it is the finest self-portrait by Francis Bacon is highly acceptable.
The 1970 diptych self-portrait by Francis Bacon refers to Two Studies for a Self-Portrait (1970), an oil on canvas diptych (two panels, each approximately 35.5 × 30.5 cm / 14 × 12 in., overall format similar to his small head studies). This work was painted in 1970, just before the major 1971 Grand Palais retrospective in Paris and the tragic suicide of George Dyer.It sold at Sotheby's New York in May 2016 (Contemporary Art Evening Auction) for around $30 million (achieving strong results within its $22–30 million pre-sale estimate; it had been in the same private collection since acquisition shortly after creation). Described by Sotheby's and critics as one of Bacon's finest and rarest self-portraits, it captures a notably "elated" or optimistic expression—uncommon in his oeuvre—showing the artist in a moment of relative confidence and vitality before the wave of personal losses in the 1970s.
Composition
Titled Two studies for a self portrait, this work was sold for $ 35M from a lower estimate of $ 22M by Sotheby's on May 11, 2016, lot 8. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The optimistic interpretation made by Sotheby's may be questioned but their conclusion that it is the finest self-portrait by Francis Bacon is highly acceptable.
The 1970 diptych self-portrait by Francis Bacon refers to Two Studies for a Self-Portrait (1970), an oil on canvas diptych (two panels, each approximately 35.5 × 30.5 cm / 14 × 12 in., overall format similar to his small head studies). This work was painted in 1970, just before the major 1971 Grand Palais retrospective in Paris and the tragic suicide of George Dyer.It sold at Sotheby's New York in May 2016 (Contemporary Art Evening Auction) for around $30 million (achieving strong results within its $22–30 million pre-sale estimate; it had been in the same private collection since acquisition shortly after creation). Described by Sotheby's and critics as one of Bacon's finest and rarest self-portraits, it captures a notably "elated" or optimistic expression—uncommon in his oeuvre—showing the artist in a moment of relative confidence and vitality before the wave of personal losses in the 1970s.
Composition
- Format: Diptych (two adjacent panels), each a tightly cropped head study presenting different angles or expressions of the same face. This allows a subtle sense of movement or duality—almost like sequential views or mirrored aspects—without the full fragmentation of his triptychs. The panels are small and intimate, forcing close confrontation with the distorted features.
- Background and framing: Neutral/dark grounds typical of Bacon's head studies, with minimal spatial cues; the focus remains locked on the face(s), emphasizing isolation and psychological intensity. No overt symbolic elements (e.g., no wristwatch as in 1973 self-portraits) dominate here.
- Vigorous, fleshy brushwork with swirling distortions of skin, bone, and sinew; smeared paint creates a visceral, almost sculptural materiality.
- The face(s) emerge from chaotic application—deep-set eyes, twisted mouth, contorted features—yet with an unusual lightness or buoyancy in expression compared to later works.
- Colors lean toward pale flesh tones against darker surrounds, with energetic impasto and blending that conveys raw emotion over literal likeness.
- Vs. the 1969 Self-Portraits (e.g., the Sotheby's 2007 $33M one and the Christie's 2023 $34.6M Valerie Beston-dedicated one): Those are single-panel, small-scale heads with swirling, bone-like distortions and haunting eyes on neutral grounds—intimate and confrontational. The 1970 diptych expands this by doubling the view (two panels for varied expressions/angles), introducing a rare dialogic or comparative element. Compositionally more dynamic than the contained 1969 singles, yet shares the same tight cropping, visceral technique, and pre-tragedy energy. Stylistically, the 1970 work feels slightly more "elated" and assured, less aggressively anguished than some 1969 examples.
- Vs. Early 1970s single self-portraits (e.g., Self-Portrait 1970 single version or Self-Portrait 1972/1973): Post-Dyer works grow more introspective/melancholic—bruised features, emptied gazes, symbolic additions like wristwatches (1973) for mortality/time. The 1970 diptych predates this shift, retaining 1960s vitality while experimenting with multi-panel format (rare for Bacon self-portraits; he favored triptychs for figures or narratives). Its optimism contrasts sharply with the grief-laden tone of 1972–73 pieces.
- Vs. Later 1970s triptych self-portraits (e.g., Three Studies for a Self-Portrait 1979 at the Met, or 1976/1980 examples): Those use three panels for sequential/head-turning views, deeper black voids, and Rembrandt-like shadowed modeling—more fragmented, existential, and mortality-focused amid accumulated losses. The 1970 diptych is smaller-scale, dual rather than triple, and less somber—bridging the intimate single heads of the late 1960s to the fragmented, multi-panel explorations later in the decade.
1970 Laguna Blu by Bulgari
2023 SOLD for CHF 22.6M by Sotheby's
Laguna Blu is a ring mounted by Bulgari with a fancy vivid blue diamond between tapered diamond shoulders. The blue diamond is pear shaped. It weighs 11.16 carats with a VS1 clarity. The ring was sold from the collection of its first owner for CHF 22.6M by Sotheby's on May 16, 2023, lot 675.
The Bulgari Laguna Blu is an exceptional 11.16-carat pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as the highest and rarest color grade for a blue diamond, with an internally flawless clarity. Its name evokes an oceanic blue hue, and its large size makes it extraordinarily rare—fewer than ten Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds over 10 carats have appeared at auction in recent decades.
The diamond was commissioned from Bulgari in 1970 and set into a ring by the Italian jewelry house (part of the LVMH group) for a distinguished private European collector. This occurred during a transformative era for Bulgari, when the Roman brand was rising to prominence in Hollywood glamour and colored gemstones, becoming a favorite of stars like Elizabeth Taylor. It was part of a larger consignment that included other signed Bulgari pieces from the early 1970s, such as a 12.08-carat pear-shaped white diamond and an 18.78-carat step-cut white diamond.
The Laguna Blu remained unmodified and in the possession of the same family for over 50 years, preserving its original 1970 cut despite advancements in diamond polishing technology that could have potentially enhanced it further. No public details are available about the diamond's origin prior to 1970, such as its mining source (blue diamonds historically often trace back to regions like South Africa or India, but this is unconfirmed for the Laguna Blu).
In early May 2023, the diamond made a high-profile public debut when Sotheby's loaned it to Bulgari, who remounted it temporarily as the centerpiece of a custom high jewelry necklace inspired by Greco-Roman bay laurel wreaths, featuring interlocking baguette and pavé diamonds set in platinum. It was worn by Indian actress and Bulgari global ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the Met Gala in New York on May 1, 2023, generating significant media attention.
Shortly after, the diamond was returned to its original ring setting and displayed for five days at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva prior to auction. On May 16, 2023, it headlined Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva, where it sparked a four-minute bidding war among one in-room bidder and three telephone participants. It sold for $25.2 million to a remote bidder, marking the first ownership change in over five decades and setting a record as the most valuable gem ever set in a Bulgari jewel at auction. The sale contributed to Sotheby's achieving its best jewelry auction performance in five years, totaling $85 million across 133 lots.
No further public auctions, ownership changes, or major events involving the Laguna Blu have been reported since the 2023 sale, though retrospective articles in 2025 have highlighted its enduring legacy as one of the world's most iconic blue diamonds.
The Bulgari Laguna Blu is an exceptional 11.16-carat pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as the highest and rarest color grade for a blue diamond, with an internally flawless clarity. Its name evokes an oceanic blue hue, and its large size makes it extraordinarily rare—fewer than ten Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds over 10 carats have appeared at auction in recent decades.
The diamond was commissioned from Bulgari in 1970 and set into a ring by the Italian jewelry house (part of the LVMH group) for a distinguished private European collector. This occurred during a transformative era for Bulgari, when the Roman brand was rising to prominence in Hollywood glamour and colored gemstones, becoming a favorite of stars like Elizabeth Taylor. It was part of a larger consignment that included other signed Bulgari pieces from the early 1970s, such as a 12.08-carat pear-shaped white diamond and an 18.78-carat step-cut white diamond.
The Laguna Blu remained unmodified and in the possession of the same family for over 50 years, preserving its original 1970 cut despite advancements in diamond polishing technology that could have potentially enhanced it further. No public details are available about the diamond's origin prior to 1970, such as its mining source (blue diamonds historically often trace back to regions like South Africa or India, but this is unconfirmed for the Laguna Blu).
In early May 2023, the diamond made a high-profile public debut when Sotheby's loaned it to Bulgari, who remounted it temporarily as the centerpiece of a custom high jewelry necklace inspired by Greco-Roman bay laurel wreaths, featuring interlocking baguette and pavé diamonds set in platinum. It was worn by Indian actress and Bulgari global ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the Met Gala in New York on May 1, 2023, generating significant media attention.
Shortly after, the diamond was returned to its original ring setting and displayed for five days at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva prior to auction. On May 16, 2023, it headlined Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva, where it sparked a four-minute bidding war among one in-room bidder and three telephone participants. It sold for $25.2 million to a remote bidder, marking the first ownership change in over five decades and setting a record as the most valuable gem ever set in a Bulgari jewel at auction. The sale contributed to Sotheby's achieving its best jewelry auction performance in five years, totaling $85 million across 133 lots.
No further public auctions, ownership changes, or major events involving the Laguna Blu have been reported since the 2023 sale, though retrospective articles in 2025 have highlighted its enduring legacy as one of the world's most iconic blue diamonds.
1970 PICASSO
1
September 1970 Buste de Matador
2021 SOLD for HK$ 140M by Sotheby's
Aged 89 Pablo Picasso attends a corrida de toros in Fréjus. How could he have abandoned for so long his former craze for bullfighting ? The matador is a symbol of virility and bravery as well as the musketeer, and less obsolete. He is also an emblem of Spain.
With his sequined coat (traje de luces), the matador is the symbol of the Spanish entertainment. The last homogeneous series executed by Picasso explores this theme in fifteen paintings made between September 27 and October 23, 1970. Nevertheless it is the human being and not the bull or the faena that excites the artist in what will be his last thematic series
The matador thus succeeds the mosquetero, with whom he has in common the sword, a symbol of virility and indirectly of the nostalgia of the aging artist. In addition the mosquetero had a pipe, the use of which is now forbidden to Pablo by his doctors.
The matador benefits from a mid length composition, which is simpler, less crazy and ultimately much more optimistic. The mosquetero was the memory of the glorious past. The matador is the conscientious libertador of the new Spain, wounded by Franco's civil war.
The hard work does not weaken. Pablo dates four oils on canvas on September 27 alone. The first three are studies for the fourth.
This Buste de Matador IV, oil on canvas 130 x 97 cm, is based on the very dynamic contrast of two complementary colors, light blue and dark orange. This painting was sold for HK $ 140M from a lower estimate of HK $ 100M by Sotheby's on April 18, 2021, lot 8005.
With his sequined coat (traje de luces), the matador is the symbol of the Spanish entertainment. The last homogeneous series executed by Picasso explores this theme in fifteen paintings made between September 27 and October 23, 1970. Nevertheless it is the human being and not the bull or the faena that excites the artist in what will be his last thematic series
The matador thus succeeds the mosquetero, with whom he has in common the sword, a symbol of virility and indirectly of the nostalgia of the aging artist. In addition the mosquetero had a pipe, the use of which is now forbidden to Pablo by his doctors.
The matador benefits from a mid length composition, which is simpler, less crazy and ultimately much more optimistic. The mosquetero was the memory of the glorious past. The matador is the conscientious libertador of the new Spain, wounded by Franco's civil war.
The hard work does not weaken. Pablo dates four oils on canvas on September 27 alone. The first three are studies for the fourth.
This Buste de Matador IV, oil on canvas 130 x 97 cm, is based on the very dynamic contrast of two complementary colors, light blue and dark orange. This painting was sold for HK $ 140M from a lower estimate of HK $ 100M by Sotheby's on April 18, 2021, lot 8005.
2
October 1970 Le Matador
2018 SOLD for £ 16.5M by Sotheby's
In his Matador series, Picasso revisits various styles from his long career as he had done fifteen years earlier in Les Femmes d'Alger. As for that example the final opus is the most complex and the best completed. On February 28, 2018, Sotheby's sold for £ 16.5M this oil on canvas 146 x 114 cm dated October 23, 1970, lot 16. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This robust man is much larger than life. He holds the sword, an essential instrument of his function. Except for his fanciful musketeer's hat, his clothes copy a portrait of a matador painted by Goya around 1797. The background is not plain as in the previous paintings of the series : the torero poses in the middle of the sand colored arena and a pattern of hatching simulates the spectators who are waiting for the action on the seats.
With his wide open eyes and his clenched mouth, the attitude of the man is severe. His game is dangerous. Despite the poor health of the artist, this work with a good psychological expression is a picturesque evocation of the Spanish culture and not a presentiment of his next appointment with death.
This final piece in the series is a portrait in an almost realistic style, without the dual perspective of the face.
This robust man is much larger than life. He holds the sword, an essential instrument of his function. Except for his fanciful musketeer's hat, his clothes copy a portrait of a matador painted by Goya around 1797. The background is not plain as in the previous paintings of the series : the torero poses in the middle of the sand colored arena and a pattern of hatching simulates the spectators who are waiting for the action on the seats.
With his wide open eyes and his clenched mouth, the attitude of the man is severe. His game is dangerous. Despite the poor health of the artist, this work with a good psychological expression is a picturesque evocation of the Spanish culture and not a presentiment of his next appointment with death.
This final piece in the series is a portrait in an almost realistic style, without the dual perspective of the face.
1970 Wolken by Richter
2022 SOLD for £ 11.2M by Sotheby's
Gerhard Richter redefines art, appropriating shabby photos whose meaning is important to him or more often to nobody. He thus becomes a specialist in blurred images of monumental size.
However, he does not want to lose any filiation with the great masters of the past. The clouds catch his attention. Their shape and color are constantly changing and yet they are perfectly identifiable. Through the clouds, Richter finds Friedrich, Constable and Turner.
After trials in limited dimensions and quantities in 1968 and 1969, the artist explores more systematically the clouds in 1970. For this sole year, his catalogue raisonné includes fifteen paintings on this theme, with various effects : pink, blue, green blue, atmosphere, backlight, abstract.
Wolken (contre-jour), oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm, was sold for £ 11.2M from a lower estimate of £ 6M by Sotheby's on June 29, 2022, lot 105. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The slightly veiled bright sun in the middle of the image is spectacularly surrounded by dark rain clouds with the illusion of a sliding sky. This view is based on two photos, the blue sky and white clouds in daylight and the dark masses at sunrise or sunset. The pictorial rendering is luminescent.
Within the Wolken the opus 266 subtitled Fenster is the most ambitious, and the only one to meet one of Richter's fundamental ambitions : to simulate an architectural environment.
This quadriptych of oils on canvas of individual dimension 200 x 100 cm appears like a large fragmented window which opens onto nothing. In turn, this nothingness takes on an emotional meaning by making the visitor believe that he sees the sky at sunset from the upper floors of a skyscraper, evaporating the city. This work anticipates the fragmented pools by David Hockney by almost ten years and the panels of snow-capped mountain scenery by Cui Ruzhuo by four decades.
Wolken (Fenster) was sold for £ 10.4M by Sotheby's on July 28, 2020, lot 20.
The pink triptych opus 267 of the same dimension of elements as the 266 was sold for $ 5M by Christie's on May 11, 2011.
However, he does not want to lose any filiation with the great masters of the past. The clouds catch his attention. Their shape and color are constantly changing and yet they are perfectly identifiable. Through the clouds, Richter finds Friedrich, Constable and Turner.
After trials in limited dimensions and quantities in 1968 and 1969, the artist explores more systematically the clouds in 1970. For this sole year, his catalogue raisonné includes fifteen paintings on this theme, with various effects : pink, blue, green blue, atmosphere, backlight, abstract.
Wolken (contre-jour), oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm, was sold for £ 11.2M from a lower estimate of £ 6M by Sotheby's on June 29, 2022, lot 105. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The slightly veiled bright sun in the middle of the image is spectacularly surrounded by dark rain clouds with the illusion of a sliding sky. This view is based on two photos, the blue sky and white clouds in daylight and the dark masses at sunrise or sunset. The pictorial rendering is luminescent.
Within the Wolken the opus 266 subtitled Fenster is the most ambitious, and the only one to meet one of Richter's fundamental ambitions : to simulate an architectural environment.
This quadriptych of oils on canvas of individual dimension 200 x 100 cm appears like a large fragmented window which opens onto nothing. In turn, this nothingness takes on an emotional meaning by making the visitor believe that he sees the sky at sunset from the upper floors of a skyscraper, evaporating the city. This work anticipates the fragmented pools by David Hockney by almost ten years and the panels of snow-capped mountain scenery by Cui Ruzhuo by four decades.
Wolken (Fenster) was sold for £ 10.4M by Sotheby's on July 28, 2020, lot 20.
The pink triptych opus 267 of the same dimension of elements as the 266 was sold for $ 5M by Christie's on May 11, 2011.
(1969)-1970 The Black Strat of David Gilmour
2026 SOLD for $ 14.6M by Christie's
On June 20, 2019 in New York, Christie's sold David Gilmour's collection of more than 120 guitars. Passionate about guitars since his childhood in Cambridge, David dreamed of playing a Fender Stratocaster. He explains today that a Strat enhances the personality of its performer.
At the end of the 1960s, psychedelic music is taking over from classic rock and roll. To reach the fame, bands must now offer to the public sounds that are both dynamic and different. David becomes the guitarist of the Pink Floyd in 1968 to compensate for the incapacity of Syd Barrett victim of mental disorders.
The Black Strat was sold for $ 4M, lot 127. Made in 1969, it was bought new by David in 1970 at Manny's in New York. Until 1983 it is his favorite instrument, constantly modified by him to extract new sensational sounds. This instrument is a basic element of the Pink Floyd sound lab at their best time. It is played by David in 1973 in the album that will remain the biggest hit of the group, The Dark Side of the Moon.
This working guitar that was originally an ordinary Strat has become a cult instrument of rock in its post-Beatles phase. Leased for ten years at the Hard Rock Café in Dallas, it was later restored. Replicas were created by Fender from 2006 in two models, one of which named The Relic copying its state of wear before restoration.
In 2005, when the band's historic members meet in concert in London after a very long break, David Gilmour plays his Black Strat again. Frequently modified for half a century by its prestigious owner, it is offered with a reasonable estimate of $ 100K to 150K. Please read the article by Christie's telling its long story.
On March 12, 2026, it was sold for $ 14.6M by Christie's, lot 24 in the sale of the Irsay collection. A travel guitar case for Pink Floyd was included in the lot. It had been sold for $ 175K, lot 126 in the sale of the Gilmour collection.
The Black Strat is one of the most iconic electric guitars in rock history: a 1969 Fender Stratocaster famously owned and extensively used by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. It became synonymous with his signature soaring, expressive tone on landmark albums and live performances. Heavily modified over decades to suit Gilmour's evolving needs, it played a central role in defining Pink Floyd's sound during their classic era.
Origins and Acquisition (1969–1970)
The guitar was originally manufactured by Fender in Fullerton, California, in 1969 as an alder-body Stratocaster. It came from the factory with a sunburst finish (painted over in black), a maple neck with a large headstock and 21 frets, a white pickguard, and standard early features like a synchronized tremolo bridge and 3-way pickup selector.
David Gilmour purchased it in May 1970 from Manny's Music on West 48th Street in New York City. This was a replacement for a previous black Stratocaster (a gift from his parents for his 21st birthday) that had been stolen along with other Pink Floyd gear during a 1968 U.S. tour. Gilmour debuted it publicly at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music in June 1970.
Early Modifications and Classic Pink Floyd Era (1970–1980s)
The Black Strat quickly became Gilmour's primary recording and performance guitar for over 15 years. It underwent numerous changes to refine his tone:
Return, Later Use, and Signature Models (1997–2019)
In May 1997, Gilmour requested its return from the Hard Rock Cafe. Restorations included refitting the original bridge, patching Kahler modifications, and installing a '57 reissue-style neck in some configurations.
It was reclaimed for Pink Floyd's historic Live 8 reunion performance in London's Hyde Park on July 2, 2005 ("Comfortably Numb" solo). Gilmour then used it as his main guitar again for the next decade, including his solo albums On an Island (2006) and Rattle That Lock (2015), plus tours and Pink Floyd's The Endless River (2015).
Fender collaborated with Gilmour and his technician Phil Taylor to release the David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster in 2008 (Relic and NOS versions in black over sunburst), replicating its look, feel, and tone.
Phil Taylor documented its full evolution in his book Pink Floyd: The Black Strat – A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster.2019 Auction at Christie'sAs part of "The David Gilmour Guitar Collection" (over 120 instruments auctioned for charity, benefiting ClientEarth for climate initiatives), the Black Strat went under the hammer at Christie's in New York on June 20, 2019. Estimated at $100,000–$150,000, it sold for $3,975,000 (including buyer's premium), setting a new world record for any guitar sold at auction at the time. The entire collection fetched $21.5 million.The buyer was Jim Irsay (owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts), a noted collector of historic instruments. It became a centerpiece of his collection, exhibited publicly and occasionally played live (e.g., by Kenny Wayne Shepherd in tribute performances).
Post-2019 and Current Status (as of 2026)
Following Jim Irsay's passing in 2025, parts of his collection—including the Black Strat—are being auctioned. It is scheduled for sale again at Christie's in March 2026 as part of "The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame," alongside other legendary guitars.
The Black Strat's enduring legacy stems not from being pristine or rare in origin, but from Gilmour's constant experimentation—swapping necks, pickups, electronics, and hardware—to chase his ethereal, melodic sound. It remains a symbol of creative evolution in rock guitar history.
At the end of the 1960s, psychedelic music is taking over from classic rock and roll. To reach the fame, bands must now offer to the public sounds that are both dynamic and different. David becomes the guitarist of the Pink Floyd in 1968 to compensate for the incapacity of Syd Barrett victim of mental disorders.
The Black Strat was sold for $ 4M, lot 127. Made in 1969, it was bought new by David in 1970 at Manny's in New York. Until 1983 it is his favorite instrument, constantly modified by him to extract new sensational sounds. This instrument is a basic element of the Pink Floyd sound lab at their best time. It is played by David in 1973 in the album that will remain the biggest hit of the group, The Dark Side of the Moon.
This working guitar that was originally an ordinary Strat has become a cult instrument of rock in its post-Beatles phase. Leased for ten years at the Hard Rock Café in Dallas, it was later restored. Replicas were created by Fender from 2006 in two models, one of which named The Relic copying its state of wear before restoration.
In 2005, when the band's historic members meet in concert in London after a very long break, David Gilmour plays his Black Strat again. Frequently modified for half a century by its prestigious owner, it is offered with a reasonable estimate of $ 100K to 150K. Please read the article by Christie's telling its long story.
On March 12, 2026, it was sold for $ 14.6M by Christie's, lot 24 in the sale of the Irsay collection. A travel guitar case for Pink Floyd was included in the lot. It had been sold for $ 175K, lot 126 in the sale of the Gilmour collection.
The Black Strat is one of the most iconic electric guitars in rock history: a 1969 Fender Stratocaster famously owned and extensively used by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. It became synonymous with his signature soaring, expressive tone on landmark albums and live performances. Heavily modified over decades to suit Gilmour's evolving needs, it played a central role in defining Pink Floyd's sound during their classic era.
Origins and Acquisition (1969–1970)
The guitar was originally manufactured by Fender in Fullerton, California, in 1969 as an alder-body Stratocaster. It came from the factory with a sunburst finish (painted over in black), a maple neck with a large headstock and 21 frets, a white pickguard, and standard early features like a synchronized tremolo bridge and 3-way pickup selector.
David Gilmour purchased it in May 1970 from Manny's Music on West 48th Street in New York City. This was a replacement for a previous black Stratocaster (a gift from his parents for his 21st birthday) that had been stolen along with other Pink Floyd gear during a 1968 U.S. tour. Gilmour debuted it publicly at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music in June 1970.
Early Modifications and Classic Pink Floyd Era (1970–1980s)
The Black Strat quickly became Gilmour's primary recording and performance guitar for over 15 years. It underwent numerous changes to refine his tone:
- Later in 1970: Swapped to a 1963 rosewood fretboard neck for Dark Side of the Moon recordings (1972–1973) and tours.
- 1973: Installed a pickguard assembly from a 1971 Strat (with 1971-dated neck and middle pickups).
- Late 1979: Added a Seymour Duncan SSL-1C custom-wound bridge pickup.
- 1985: Upgraded to a 5-way pickup selector.
- Early 1980s: Experimented with various necks (including Charvel bird's-eye maple 22-fret necks) and briefly a Kahler tremolo system (installed ~1983, later removed).
- It featured prominently on Pink Floyd albums like The Dark Side of the Moon (1973; e.g., "Money"), Wish You Were Here (1975; e.g., "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979; e.g., "Comfortably Numb"). It also appeared on Gilmour's solo debut David Gilmour (1978) and About Face (1983), as well as the film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972).
Return, Later Use, and Signature Models (1997–2019)
In May 1997, Gilmour requested its return from the Hard Rock Cafe. Restorations included refitting the original bridge, patching Kahler modifications, and installing a '57 reissue-style neck in some configurations.
It was reclaimed for Pink Floyd's historic Live 8 reunion performance in London's Hyde Park on July 2, 2005 ("Comfortably Numb" solo). Gilmour then used it as his main guitar again for the next decade, including his solo albums On an Island (2006) and Rattle That Lock (2015), plus tours and Pink Floyd's The Endless River (2015).
Fender collaborated with Gilmour and his technician Phil Taylor to release the David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster in 2008 (Relic and NOS versions in black over sunburst), replicating its look, feel, and tone.
Phil Taylor documented its full evolution in his book Pink Floyd: The Black Strat – A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster.2019 Auction at Christie'sAs part of "The David Gilmour Guitar Collection" (over 120 instruments auctioned for charity, benefiting ClientEarth for climate initiatives), the Black Strat went under the hammer at Christie's in New York on June 20, 2019. Estimated at $100,000–$150,000, it sold for $3,975,000 (including buyer's premium), setting a new world record for any guitar sold at auction at the time. The entire collection fetched $21.5 million.The buyer was Jim Irsay (owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts), a noted collector of historic instruments. It became a centerpiece of his collection, exhibited publicly and occasionally played live (e.g., by Kenny Wayne Shepherd in tribute performances).
Post-2019 and Current Status (as of 2026)
Following Jim Irsay's passing in 2025, parts of his collection—including the Black Strat—are being auctioned. It is scheduled for sale again at Christie's in March 2026 as part of "The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame," alongside other legendary guitars.
The Black Strat's enduring legacy stems not from being pristine or rare in origin, but from Gilmour's constant experimentation—swapping necks, pickups, electronics, and hardware—to chase his ethereal, melodic sound. It remains a symbol of creative evolution in rock guitar history.
