1995
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Freud Lichtenstein > 1965 Doig Wool Yoshitomo Nara Supercars McLaren
See also : Freud Lichtenstein > 1965 Doig Wool Yoshitomo Nara Supercars McLaren
masterpiece
1995 Knowledge and Wonder by Marshall
for the use of Chicago public libraries
After his training and early career in Los Angeles, Kerry James Marshall is working in Chicago since 1993. He found there a positive atmosphere for the spread of his social message and taught until 2006 at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois.
Marshall encourages young African-Americans to break free from their inferiority complexes. The American society was built by whites for whites, but blacks must also benefit from it. His scenes are populated exclusively by blacks. To create and maintain an art specific to their community, it is quite possible to ignore the existence of whites.
On November 15, 2018, Christie's listed as lot 27 C a 295 x 700 cm acrylic and collage made by Marshall in 1995 on the theme of education for use by public libraries in Chicago.
Titled Knowledge and Wonder, this mural shows children accompanied by three adults. Viewed from the back, they access knowledge by looking at and commenting on a large fresco that unites the symbols of the universe, from the infinitely great of astronomy to the infinitely small of microbiology.
A detailed inspection offers some interesting surprises. A black boy passes over their heads on a surfboard. A dragon symbolizes the wonder. Perched on a tree in a gap, a red cardinal, the state bird of Illinois, gives them its protection. A ladder is ready to be used for their social climbing.
The lot was withdrawn.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Oct 1, 2018
$10m Kerry James Marshall Work Announced by Christie’s to Benefit Chicago Libraries https://artmarketmonitor.com/2018/10/01/10m-kerry-james-marshall-work-announced-by-christies-to-benefit-chicago-libraries/…
Marshall encourages young African-Americans to break free from their inferiority complexes. The American society was built by whites for whites, but blacks must also benefit from it. His scenes are populated exclusively by blacks. To create and maintain an art specific to their community, it is quite possible to ignore the existence of whites.
On November 15, 2018, Christie's listed as lot 27 C a 295 x 700 cm acrylic and collage made by Marshall in 1995 on the theme of education for use by public libraries in Chicago.
Titled Knowledge and Wonder, this mural shows children accompanied by three adults. Viewed from the back, they access knowledge by looking at and commenting on a large fresco that unites the symbols of the universe, from the infinitely great of astronomy to the infinitely small of microbiology.
A detailed inspection offers some interesting surprises. A black boy passes over their heads on a surfboard. A dragon symbolizes the wonder. Perched on a tree in a gap, a red cardinal, the state bird of Illinois, gives them its protection. A ladder is ready to be used for their social climbing.
The lot was withdrawn.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Oct 1, 2018
$10m Kerry James Marshall Work Announced by Christie’s to Benefit Chicago Libraries https://artmarketmonitor.com/2018/10/01/10m-kerry-james-marshall-work-announced-by-christies-to-benefit-chicago-libraries/…
- The artwork in the post, created by Kerry James Marshall, a Birmingham-born artist known for depicting Black figures, had been listed at a Christie’s auction in 2018 to fund Chicago libraries, reflecting his commitment to community upliftment inspired by his Civil Rights-era childhood.
- Marshall’s piece, part of a broader retrospective "The Histories" showcased in 2025 across London, Zurich, and Paris, uses vibrant imagery to challenge historical art narratives, a theme supported by his 2016 "Mastry" exhibition that drew over 100,000 visitors, per Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago data.
- The auction’s proceeds should have aligned with studies from the American Library Association (2017) showing public library funding boosts literacy rates by 15% in underserved areas, underscoring the strategic use of art to address social inequities.
1995-1996 F1 GTR Short Tail, Chassis 10R
2026 SOLD for $ 35M by RM Sotheby's
A McLaren F1 GTR Short Tail was estimated in excess of $ 35M for sale by RM Sotheby's on August 15, 2026, lot 328. Realized price : $ 34,655,000. This prototype of the 1996 version had left the Woking works in December 1995.
The McLaren F1 GTR Short Tail (primarily the 1995 and refined 1996 specifications) was the racing evolution of Gordon Murray’s F1 road car, developed for the BPR Global GT Series and endurance racing.
It was never intended as a pure racer but leveraged the road car’s carbon-fiber monocoque, BMW S70/2 V12, and race-derived components. Nine chassis were built for 1995 (essentially lightened road cars with revised bodywork, a large rear wing, and carbon-ceramic brakes while retaining the standard gearbox). Another nine followed for 1996-spec, which added front/rear bodywork extensions, a more aggressive front splitter for increased downforce, a lightweight magnesium gearbox housing with heavy-duty internals (saving ~38 kg versus 1995 cars), and other refinements that made the 1996 version the fastest overall GTR variant in straight-line speed.
Total F1 GTR production reached 28 chassis: nine 1995-spec, nine 1996-spec (both short-tail configurations with the 1996 cars featuring modest extensions), and ten 1997 Long Tails. Some earlier cars were later upgraded, but the core short-tail group remained closer to the road car’s proportions and aesthetics.
Breakthrough and Legacy
The breakthrough came at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chassis 01R (McLaren’s development prototype, run under the Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing banner with Lanzante Motorsport preparation and drivers JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya) scored an overall victory on the model’s competitive debut in one of the wettest races on record. Prototypes struggled in the conditions, allowing the GT1 McLarens to excel; sister cars finished 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Gordon Murray later noted that winning Le Mans at the first attempt was harder than consecutive Formula 1 titles. This result elevated the entire F1 program’s status and cemented the road car’s legend as more than a hypercar.
The Short Tail’s legacy includes being the last outright Le Mans winner developed directly from a production GT hypercar (bridging road and race DNA in a way later pure-bred machines did not). The 1996 cars are often called the “Goldilocks” or most desirable variant: they retain the short-tail’s elegant proportions and relative practicality while incorporating meaningful performance upgrades over the 1995 winner, and they proved the fastest of all GTRs in top speed (one recorded 330 km/h on the Mulsanne in 1996). Many were later converted for road use (an estimated 16 total GTR road conversions), further blurring the line. The program’s success influenced later McLaren “LT” (Longtail) road cars and remains a high-water mark for customer GT racing derived from road cars.
Why Superseded by the Long Tail Despite the 1995 Win
Competition intensified in 1996–1997 with purpose-built rivals such as the Porsche 911 GT1 (and later Mercedes CLK-GTR). The short-tail cars, still closely related to the road F1, lacked the ultimate aerodynamic efficiency and weight savings needed against machines designed primarily as racers. For 1997, under relaxed homologation rules requiring only one road-going counterpart (the rare F1 GT), McLaren introduced the Long Tail: substantially extended nose and tail (stretching the rear significantly, up to the regulatory maximum), wider rear wing, revised suspension geometry, sequential Xtrac gearbox, further weight reduction (to ~915 kg versus ~1,012 kg for 1996 and ~1,050 kg for 1995), and other aero/chassis changes for greater downforce and better cornering balance.
The Long Tail was slower in pure straight-line speed than the 1996 Short Tail but superior over a full lap due to aero and handling. It was more aggressive and forgiving at the limit in some respects. Short-tail development effectively ended as the focus shifted to counter pure-bred opposition; the Long Tail represented the final, most extreme evolution before privateer efforts continued into later years. The short-tail cars remain prized for their closer link to the original F1 road car, the 1995 Le Mans glory, and aesthetic purity.
Chassis 10R (1996 McLaren F1 GTR Short Tail) – RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026, Lot 328
Offered at The Monterey Auction on 15 August 2026 with a stated value in excess of $35 million USD, chassis 10R is described as “The Pop Art F1.” It is the first of the nine 1996-spec cars (completed December 1995), one of only two short-tail factory prototypes/development cars (alongside the Le Mans-winning 01R), and the only GTR to retain its unique factory livery: scarlet/blood red with contrasting yellow “96 GTR” graphics (a bold 1990s pop-art design that makes it the most immediately recognizable McLaren F1 of any type).
Full history: Retained by McLaren as the works development, press, and promotional car. Driven by factory drivers including 1995 Le Mans winner JJ Lehto in winter testing (e.g., Magny-Cours). It accumulated significant test mileage and appeared in BPR paddocks. In early April 1996 it completed a 12-hour test at Barcelona; later that month (27–28 April) it ran at Le Mans pre-qualifying under Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing in plain blood-red livery with graphite wheels, driven by David Brabham (20th overall, 8th in GT1). Sister car 11R took the race entry. Additional testing (including at Paul Ricard) followed; a crash by Brabham cut one session short.
McLaren converted it for road use (one of the earliest of the roughly 16 GTR road conversions). In 1999 it passed directly to its first private owner, Pink Floyd drummer and noted collector Nick Mason (registered K40 MCL). Mason owned it for 25 years. Further work and maintenance were handled by Paul Lanzante (who had prepared the 1995 Le Mans winner) and later his son Dean at Lanzante Limited, with an “open checkbook” approach. It appeared at Rétromobile 2007, was tested by Autocar in 2009 (followed by a journalist incident leading to a full restoration by Dean Lanzante), and participated in events including the 2012 Goodwood Members’ Meeting, 106 Drivers Club anniversary and Tuscany tours, a 2017 Goodwood GT1 demonstration (where Mason hit a tire wall, prompting another restoration), and the 2022 Festival of Speed. Privately sold in spring 2024; a recent Lanzante inspection is on file. It remains mechanically among the best-maintained examples.
Key features and originality: 1996-spec short-tail bodywork with the extensions and aero upgrades; unique factory pop-art livery (never altered in character); road conversion by the factory itself; continuous specialist care. It retains high originality in configuration and presentation while being fully road-usable and event-proven. Desirability stems from the rare combination of being the first/most significant 1996 prototype, one of only two short-tail XP-style cars, unique and iconic factory livery, Le Mans testing provenance, factory road conversion, long single private ownership by a high-profile collector with impeccable maintenance, cultural resonance (British automotive and pop-art/rock heritage), and status as a pinnacle “Goldilocks” short-tail example of the last road-derived Le Mans winner.
Detailed Comparison with Chassis 01R
Both are the only two short-tail factory prototypes/development cars retained initially by McLaren, forming a unique pair.
The McLaren F1 GTR Short Tail (primarily the 1995 and refined 1996 specifications) was the racing evolution of Gordon Murray’s F1 road car, developed for the BPR Global GT Series and endurance racing.
It was never intended as a pure racer but leveraged the road car’s carbon-fiber monocoque, BMW S70/2 V12, and race-derived components. Nine chassis were built for 1995 (essentially lightened road cars with revised bodywork, a large rear wing, and carbon-ceramic brakes while retaining the standard gearbox). Another nine followed for 1996-spec, which added front/rear bodywork extensions, a more aggressive front splitter for increased downforce, a lightweight magnesium gearbox housing with heavy-duty internals (saving ~38 kg versus 1995 cars), and other refinements that made the 1996 version the fastest overall GTR variant in straight-line speed.
Total F1 GTR production reached 28 chassis: nine 1995-spec, nine 1996-spec (both short-tail configurations with the 1996 cars featuring modest extensions), and ten 1997 Long Tails. Some earlier cars were later upgraded, but the core short-tail group remained closer to the road car’s proportions and aesthetics.
Breakthrough and Legacy
The breakthrough came at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chassis 01R (McLaren’s development prototype, run under the Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing banner with Lanzante Motorsport preparation and drivers JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya) scored an overall victory on the model’s competitive debut in one of the wettest races on record. Prototypes struggled in the conditions, allowing the GT1 McLarens to excel; sister cars finished 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Gordon Murray later noted that winning Le Mans at the first attempt was harder than consecutive Formula 1 titles. This result elevated the entire F1 program’s status and cemented the road car’s legend as more than a hypercar.
The Short Tail’s legacy includes being the last outright Le Mans winner developed directly from a production GT hypercar (bridging road and race DNA in a way later pure-bred machines did not). The 1996 cars are often called the “Goldilocks” or most desirable variant: they retain the short-tail’s elegant proportions and relative practicality while incorporating meaningful performance upgrades over the 1995 winner, and they proved the fastest of all GTRs in top speed (one recorded 330 km/h on the Mulsanne in 1996). Many were later converted for road use (an estimated 16 total GTR road conversions), further blurring the line. The program’s success influenced later McLaren “LT” (Longtail) road cars and remains a high-water mark for customer GT racing derived from road cars.
Why Superseded by the Long Tail Despite the 1995 Win
Competition intensified in 1996–1997 with purpose-built rivals such as the Porsche 911 GT1 (and later Mercedes CLK-GTR). The short-tail cars, still closely related to the road F1, lacked the ultimate aerodynamic efficiency and weight savings needed against machines designed primarily as racers. For 1997, under relaxed homologation rules requiring only one road-going counterpart (the rare F1 GT), McLaren introduced the Long Tail: substantially extended nose and tail (stretching the rear significantly, up to the regulatory maximum), wider rear wing, revised suspension geometry, sequential Xtrac gearbox, further weight reduction (to ~915 kg versus ~1,012 kg for 1996 and ~1,050 kg for 1995), and other aero/chassis changes for greater downforce and better cornering balance.
The Long Tail was slower in pure straight-line speed than the 1996 Short Tail but superior over a full lap due to aero and handling. It was more aggressive and forgiving at the limit in some respects. Short-tail development effectively ended as the focus shifted to counter pure-bred opposition; the Long Tail represented the final, most extreme evolution before privateer efforts continued into later years. The short-tail cars remain prized for their closer link to the original F1 road car, the 1995 Le Mans glory, and aesthetic purity.
Chassis 10R (1996 McLaren F1 GTR Short Tail) – RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026, Lot 328
Offered at The Monterey Auction on 15 August 2026 with a stated value in excess of $35 million USD, chassis 10R is described as “The Pop Art F1.” It is the first of the nine 1996-spec cars (completed December 1995), one of only two short-tail factory prototypes/development cars (alongside the Le Mans-winning 01R), and the only GTR to retain its unique factory livery: scarlet/blood red with contrasting yellow “96 GTR” graphics (a bold 1990s pop-art design that makes it the most immediately recognizable McLaren F1 of any type).
Full history: Retained by McLaren as the works development, press, and promotional car. Driven by factory drivers including 1995 Le Mans winner JJ Lehto in winter testing (e.g., Magny-Cours). It accumulated significant test mileage and appeared in BPR paddocks. In early April 1996 it completed a 12-hour test at Barcelona; later that month (27–28 April) it ran at Le Mans pre-qualifying under Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing in plain blood-red livery with graphite wheels, driven by David Brabham (20th overall, 8th in GT1). Sister car 11R took the race entry. Additional testing (including at Paul Ricard) followed; a crash by Brabham cut one session short.
McLaren converted it for road use (one of the earliest of the roughly 16 GTR road conversions). In 1999 it passed directly to its first private owner, Pink Floyd drummer and noted collector Nick Mason (registered K40 MCL). Mason owned it for 25 years. Further work and maintenance were handled by Paul Lanzante (who had prepared the 1995 Le Mans winner) and later his son Dean at Lanzante Limited, with an “open checkbook” approach. It appeared at Rétromobile 2007, was tested by Autocar in 2009 (followed by a journalist incident leading to a full restoration by Dean Lanzante), and participated in events including the 2012 Goodwood Members’ Meeting, 106 Drivers Club anniversary and Tuscany tours, a 2017 Goodwood GT1 demonstration (where Mason hit a tire wall, prompting another restoration), and the 2022 Festival of Speed. Privately sold in spring 2024; a recent Lanzante inspection is on file. It remains mechanically among the best-maintained examples.
Key features and originality: 1996-spec short-tail bodywork with the extensions and aero upgrades; unique factory pop-art livery (never altered in character); road conversion by the factory itself; continuous specialist care. It retains high originality in configuration and presentation while being fully road-usable and event-proven. Desirability stems from the rare combination of being the first/most significant 1996 prototype, one of only two short-tail XP-style cars, unique and iconic factory livery, Le Mans testing provenance, factory road conversion, long single private ownership by a high-profile collector with impeccable maintenance, cultural resonance (British automotive and pop-art/rock heritage), and status as a pinnacle “Goldilocks” short-tail example of the last road-derived Le Mans winner.
Detailed Comparison with Chassis 01R
Both are the only two short-tail factory prototypes/development cars retained initially by McLaren, forming a unique pair.
- Specification and role: 01R is the original 1995-spec prototype (modified from road-car chassis 019), used for early development and testing (Longcross, Silverstone, Barcelona). 10R is the first 1996-spec car, incorporating the lighter gearbox, aero refinements, and other updates that made the 1996 cars faster overall; it replaced 01R as the primary works test/development car.
- Racing history: 01R’s is far more significant—it contested Le Mans pre-qualifying (10th overall/5th GT1) and won the 1995 24 Hours outright (black/grey Ueno Clinic livery, drivers Lehto/Dalmas/Sekiya). 10R’s racing activity was limited to 1996 Le Mans pre-qualifying (20th overall/8th GT1 with Brabham) and extensive testing; it did not race the event itself.
- Livery and appearance: 01R started in two-tone silver/orange, then black/grey for Le Mans. 10R is unique in retaining the factory scarlet-and-yellow pop-art “96 GTR” graphics (temporarily plain red for pre-qualifying).
- Ownership and later life: 01R has remained with McLaren since its win (displayed at Goodwood and Silverstone in 1995 and retained as a historic asset). 10R was factory-converted for road use, sold to Nick Mason in 1999 (sole private owner for 25 years), extensively maintained/restored by Lanzante, and used for road tours, demonstrations, and media; it is now offered publicly.
- Significance today: 01R is the irreplaceable Le Mans winner and ultimate 1995 prototype, permanently tied to McLaren’s heritage collection. 10R offers the more developed/faster 1996 mechanical package, unique visual identity, road usability, celebrity provenance, and the rare opportunity for private ownership of a short-tail works prototype—making it exceptionally desirable on the open market as a “Pop Art” cultural and technical artifact.
1995
2017 SOLD for $ 15.6M by Bonhams
The F1 is the best but the security rules are not the same in America. The central position of the driver is tolerated but the side seats for the passengers are not allowed. Other differences include bumper height, headlights and cooling system. A company named Ameritech makes the changes necessary for the legalization in a way that can be easily and completely reversible. 7 F1 are processed by them around 1997.
On August 18, 2017, Bonhams sold for $ 15.6M as lot 73 an F1 made in 1995, chassis number 044, which had been in 1996 the first to be shipped to the United States, transformed by Ameritech and legalized. It was later returned to its original configuration as almost all (or all?) the F1 Ameritech.
It is announced as a dream car, consigned by its first owner with only 15,500 Km from new and an excellent history of services, in its original configuration without any further option. With a population of 64 in its basic version the McLaren F1 is however less rare than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Please watch the video shared by the auction house
On August 18, 2017, Bonhams sold for $ 15.6M as lot 73 an F1 made in 1995, chassis number 044, which had been in 1996 the first to be shipped to the United States, transformed by Ameritech and legalized. It was later returned to its original configuration as almost all (or all?) the F1 Ameritech.
It is announced as a dream car, consigned by its first owner with only 15,500 Km from new and an excellent history of services, in its original configuration without any further option. With a population of 64 in its basic version the McLaren F1 is however less rare than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Please watch the video shared by the auction house
1995 Benefits Supervisor Sleeping by Freud
2008 SOLD for $ 33.6M by Christie's
Relying on his knowledge of art history, Lucian Freud is not like everyone else. His considerations on others are not based on the expression of faces or attitudes but on the smallest details of entirely naked bodies, male and female, which he observes endlessly like a zoologist who has to describe a rare specimen.
Leigh Bowery has been one of his male models since 1988. Leigh is a post-punk dancer, stylist and creator of night clubs. He outrageously exhibits his homosexuality with exuberant make-up, high heels and latex body tights.
In 1990 Leigh invites Lucian to meet Sue Tilley who is benefits supervisor in an employment agency and cashier of one of his clubs in Piccadilly. Sue is 33 years old and weighs about 137 kg. She is an interesting specimen : Lucian considers that her flesh without muscle has generated an unusual texture of the skin, of which he observes all the folds and shadows.
From 1993 to 1996 Sue is featured in four paintings. She is alone in the last three images, huddled on a sofa and then in an armchair to endure without tiring the repetitive sitting sessions which occupy every Saturday and Sunday and sometimes more for several months in a row.
Freud used Sue's professional occupation as a nickname. Benefits Supervisor resting, oil on canvas 151 x 161 cm painted in 1994, was sold for $ 56M by Christie's on May 13, 2015. The folded legs accentuate the swellings of the body. The head tilted back does not matter.
Benefits Supervisor sleeping, oil on canvas 151 x 219 cm painted in 1995, was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on May 13, 2008, lot 37. The body is reclining on the sofa with an acceptable head position on a cushion, probably at the request of the model, bringing a better impression of quiet intimacy. Please watch Christie's interview with Sue Tilley beside this painting before the sale.
Leigh Bowery had died of AIDS in December 1994. Sue Tilley will publish a biography of him in 1997.
Grok thought :
Quote
ZenYogiZen @GeoffreyGo94064 Jul 15
Always been a fan of Lucian Freud. "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping." - 1995. "It's flesh without muscle & it has developed a different kind of texture through bearing such a weight-bearing thing." Last time sold it set a record for a living artist £17.2m. Buyer paid by weight.
Leigh Bowery has been one of his male models since 1988. Leigh is a post-punk dancer, stylist and creator of night clubs. He outrageously exhibits his homosexuality with exuberant make-up, high heels and latex body tights.
In 1990 Leigh invites Lucian to meet Sue Tilley who is benefits supervisor in an employment agency and cashier of one of his clubs in Piccadilly. Sue is 33 years old and weighs about 137 kg. She is an interesting specimen : Lucian considers that her flesh without muscle has generated an unusual texture of the skin, of which he observes all the folds and shadows.
From 1993 to 1996 Sue is featured in four paintings. She is alone in the last three images, huddled on a sofa and then in an armchair to endure without tiring the repetitive sitting sessions which occupy every Saturday and Sunday and sometimes more for several months in a row.
Freud used Sue's professional occupation as a nickname. Benefits Supervisor resting, oil on canvas 151 x 161 cm painted in 1994, was sold for $ 56M by Christie's on May 13, 2015. The folded legs accentuate the swellings of the body. The head tilted back does not matter.
Benefits Supervisor sleeping, oil on canvas 151 x 219 cm painted in 1995, was sold for $ 33.6M by Christie's on May 13, 2008, lot 37. The body is reclining on the sofa with an acceptable head position on a cushion, probably at the request of the model, bringing a better impression of quiet intimacy. Please watch Christie's interview with Sue Tilley beside this painting before the sale.
Leigh Bowery had died of AIDS in December 1994. Sue Tilley will publish a biography of him in 1997.
Grok thought :
Quote
ZenYogiZen @GeoffreyGo94064 Jul 15
Always been a fan of Lucian Freud. "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping." - 1995. "It's flesh without muscle & it has developed a different kind of texture through bearing such a weight-bearing thing." Last time sold it set a record for a living artist £17.2m. Buyer paid by weight.
- The post shares an image of Lucian Freud's 1995 oil painting "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping," depicting civil servant Sue Tilley in a raw, unidealized nude pose on a worn sofa, capturing Freud's signature thick impasto technique that took over 16 months to complete.
- Freud, grandson of Sigmund Freud, described Tilley's form as "flesh without muscle" with a unique texture from "bearing such a weight-bearing thing," emphasizing his focus on psychological depth and physical reality over conventional beauty in his late-career nudes.
- Sold at Christie's in 2008 for £17.2 million ($33.6 million), it held the record for the highest price paid for a living artist's work until 2015; the post's quip about the buyer "paying by weight" nods to Tilley's plus-sized figure, adding wry humor to the artwork's bold body positivity.
1995 LICHTENSTEIN
Nude with Red Shirt
2012 SOLD for $ 28M by Christie's
In 1993 Roy Lichtenstein reinterpreted the comics that had made his glory thirty years earlier. The evolution of manners and the new freedom acquired and claimed by young women allow him to strip them to the nude.
In the first works in the series, exhibited by Castelli in November 1994, the aesthetics of voluptuous curves often take precedence over narration. Amorous thoughts already appear in some scenes.
In the Nude with Yellow Flower, sold for $ 23.6M by Christie's on May 15, 2013, the young woman phones while preparing a flower for her interlocutor. In the 1960s comics she wore a swimsuit.
Nude with Red Shirt, oil and acrylic on canvas 198 x 168 cm painted in 1995, was sold for $ 28M by Christie's on November 14, 2012, lot 39.
In her bedroom, the young blonde slips her shirt over her shoulders. The viewer's attention is focused on the bare skin. In the original image, she wore underpants. The narrative figures are only seen at second reading.
The left edge of the image is broken by the hair of a woman. What is she doing ? Roy does not give his solution but in the original comic book she was the sister. The framed portrait of a young man on the nightstand leads to conclude that the main character is heterosexual.
In the following year the women are more overtly exciting. A Seductive Girl was sold for $ 31.5M by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
In the first works in the series, exhibited by Castelli in November 1994, the aesthetics of voluptuous curves often take precedence over narration. Amorous thoughts already appear in some scenes.
In the Nude with Yellow Flower, sold for $ 23.6M by Christie's on May 15, 2013, the young woman phones while preparing a flower for her interlocutor. In the 1960s comics she wore a swimsuit.
Nude with Red Shirt, oil and acrylic on canvas 198 x 168 cm painted in 1995, was sold for $ 28M by Christie's on November 14, 2012, lot 39.
In her bedroom, the young blonde slips her shirt over her shoulders. The viewer's attention is focused on the bare skin. In the original image, she wore underpants. The narrative figures are only seen at second reading.
The left edge of the image is broken by the hair of a woman. What is she doing ? Roy does not give his solution but in the original comic book she was the sister. The framed portrait of a young man on the nightstand leads to conclude that the main character is heterosexual.
In the following year the women are more overtly exciting. A Seductive Girl was sold for $ 31.5M by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
Nude Sunbathing
2017 SOLD for $ 24M by Sotheby's
An often iconoclastic theorist in many genres of painting, Roy Lichtenstein appreciates when turning 70 years old that the viewer wants nude women. He observes: "If you draw three lines that look like a nude, people see a nude".
To join this everlasting theme of art, he undresses the young women from the sentimental stories of his old magazines. In a first phase he chooses apartment scenes with one or two girls in their usual occupations. The condition of women has changed, fortunately, and these scenes which once would have been risqué are no longer shocking.
The old artist then takes a step forward towards eroticism. He reads again a sentimental story published in 1964 in Heart Throbs magazine. His young woman is the conformal copy of the original blonde except that now she is naked. He removes the texts which explained too directly her dramas.
The oil and acrylic on canvas 148 x 152 cm painted in 1995 was sold for $ 24M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2017, lot 8.
In the comic book the woman is sitting and leaning on the edge of the bed and dreams of her success : Danny likes me; He likes me for me ; He does not know I can be beautiful. Once stripped by Roy she retains from the original version a too thick and too red mouth assessing that despite her perfect body her sex appeal is vulgar.
This painting is named Nude sunbathing, a surprising title since the original indoor scene is not contradicted in the nude version. Tentatively Roy was looking for an occupational excuse to justify the increasing eroticism of his art.
In the following year the taboos are finally removed with a charming image re-appropriated from further in the same story. In the comics the young woman in bed cannot fall asleep because her Danny is in love with another girl. Her gaze is languid. Roy takes off her nightgown : Seductive Girl was sold for $ 31.5M by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
To join this everlasting theme of art, he undresses the young women from the sentimental stories of his old magazines. In a first phase he chooses apartment scenes with one or two girls in their usual occupations. The condition of women has changed, fortunately, and these scenes which once would have been risqué are no longer shocking.
The old artist then takes a step forward towards eroticism. He reads again a sentimental story published in 1964 in Heart Throbs magazine. His young woman is the conformal copy of the original blonde except that now she is naked. He removes the texts which explained too directly her dramas.
The oil and acrylic on canvas 148 x 152 cm painted in 1995 was sold for $ 24M by Sotheby's on May 18, 2017, lot 8.
In the comic book the woman is sitting and leaning on the edge of the bed and dreams of her success : Danny likes me; He likes me for me ; He does not know I can be beautiful. Once stripped by Roy she retains from the original version a too thick and too red mouth assessing that despite her perfect body her sex appeal is vulgar.
This painting is named Nude sunbathing, a surprising title since the original indoor scene is not contradicted in the nude version. Tentatively Roy was looking for an occupational excuse to justify the increasing eroticism of his art.
In the following year the taboos are finally removed with a charming image re-appropriated from further in the same story. In the comics the young woman in bed cannot fall asleep because her Danny is in love with another girl. Her gaze is languid. Roy takes off her nightgown : Seductive Girl was sold for $ 31.5M by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1995-1996 Red House by Doig
2017 SOLD for $ 21M by Phillips
Inspired by his childhood in Canada, Peter Doig recreates within his head an ideal of life in the wilderness, sheltered in an anonymous cabin. His memory is emotional and not topographical. He searches endlessly in the old images the models of his desire.
At the same time he is a very good connoisseur of modern and ancient painting techniques, and a meticulous and talented artist who does not hesitate to use very large formats to share his fantasies.
On November 16, 2017, Phillips sold for $ 21M Red House, oil on canvas 200 x 250 cm dated 1995-1996, lot 12.
Red House feeds his favorite theme : it expresses the winter with the snow on ground and trees. The house, which may be a lumberjack camp, has a bright color under the twilight sun sifted through a heavy sky. The scattered flakes bring a rhythm to the whole composition. In the foreground, sectioning the image in the middle, the leafless trunk of a birch focuses the boundary between the artist and his own dream.
This little place of a chilled paradise is made to be inhabited, just like the winter villages by Brueghel. The men however must not disturb the balance of the dream. They are much more numerous than usually in Doig's scenes and divided into active groups, but they are reduced to their silhouettes according to the usual practice of the artist.
At the same time he is a very good connoisseur of modern and ancient painting techniques, and a meticulous and talented artist who does not hesitate to use very large formats to share his fantasies.
On November 16, 2017, Phillips sold for $ 21M Red House, oil on canvas 200 x 250 cm dated 1995-1996, lot 12.
Red House feeds his favorite theme : it expresses the winter with the snow on ground and trees. The house, which may be a lumberjack camp, has a bright color under the twilight sun sifted through a heavy sky. The scattered flakes bring a rhythm to the whole composition. In the foreground, sectioning the image in the middle, the leafless trunk of a birch focuses the boundary between the artist and his own dream.
This little place of a chilled paradise is made to be inhabited, just like the winter villages by Brueghel. The men however must not disturb the balance of the dream. They are much more numerous than usually in Doig's scenes and divided into active groups, but they are reduced to their silhouettes according to the usual practice of the artist.
1995 Mohn by Richter
2026 SOLD for $ 20M by Christie's
Mohn (Poppy), 1995 (CR 830-1) by Gerhard Richter is a large-scale abstract oil on canvas (200 x 140 cm) from his mature squeegee period, acquired directly from the artist by Marian Goodman. It is featured in Christie's auction, May 20, 2026, lot 15B, estimated $ 14M.
Richter created it in 1995, shortly after the celebrated Abstraktes Bild 809 series (1994), continuing and refining the same techniques and aesthetic. It realized $ 20M.
Key Features of Mohn (Poppy) and Its Relation to the Abstraktes Bild 809 Series
Richter's abstract works from the mid-1990s, including both, rely on his signature squeegee technique: He applies multiple layers of oil paint (often with brushes or directly), then drags a large squeegee (or spatula) across the canvas to smear, scrape, blend, and partially remove paint. This creates accidental interactions, reveals underlayers, and builds complex, textured surfaces through controlled chance. The process repeats—adding paint, dragging, scraping—until the composition feels resolved.
These paintings prioritize process, materiality, and perceptual ambiguity over representation—Richter's abstracts often suggest landscapes or natural phenomena (here, floral fields) without depicting them literally. They reward close looking: colors shift, depths emerge, and harmony arises from apparent randomness.
This places Mohn firmly in Richter's most sought-after abstract output.
Richter created it in 1995, shortly after the celebrated Abstraktes Bild 809 series (1994), continuing and refining the same techniques and aesthetic. It realized $ 20M.
Key Features of Mohn (Poppy) and Its Relation to the Abstraktes Bild 809 Series
Richter's abstract works from the mid-1990s, including both, rely on his signature squeegee technique: He applies multiple layers of oil paint (often with brushes or directly), then drags a large squeegee (or spatula) across the canvas to smear, scrape, blend, and partially remove paint. This creates accidental interactions, reveals underlayers, and builds complex, textured surfaces through controlled chance. The process repeats—adding paint, dragging, scraping—until the composition feels resolved.
- Color and Palette: The 809 series often features rich autumnal tones—scarlet reds, emerald greens, golden yellows, with violet and Prussian blue accents—creating a glowing, harmonious yet dynamic effect. Mohn (Poppy) evokes its title with vibrant floral-inspired hues: prominent reds/pinks (poppy-like), greens, blues, and layered earth tones. The scraping reveals myriad underlayers of vibrant pigment, producing luminous, iridescent transitions.
- Composition and Texture: Both works feature broad swathes, vertical/horizontal drags, and "calculated chaos." In the 809 series, vertical and horizontal lines from squeegee/spatula movements provide structure amid abundance, balancing chaos with calm. Mohn balances "the horizontal thrust of his squeegee with the vertical pull of his spatula," with energetic attacks on areas (e.g., left side) exposing underlayers. The surface shows thick impasto in places, thin veils elsewhere, drips, smears, and scraped "windows" into prior layers.
- Scale and Effect: Monumental size immerses the viewer. The 809 paintings (e.g., 809-1 at ~225 x 200 cm) feel epic and panoramic; Mohn (slightly narrower but tall) has similar presence. The result is luminous, flowing gestures without overt conflict—intuitive yet masterful.
These paintings prioritize process, materiality, and perceptual ambiguity over representation—Richter's abstracts often suggest landscapes or natural phenomena (here, floral fields) without depicting them literally. They reward close looking: colors shift, depths emerge, and harmony arises from apparent randomness.
This places Mohn firmly in Richter's most sought-after abstract output.
1995 Spray by Wool
2021 SOLD for $ 13.2M by Sotheby's
The untitled opus P244 is an enamel on aluminum 200 x 152 cm painted by Christopher Wool in 1995. The mingled looping lines in the style of Brice Marden were made by using a spray gun and liquified paint.
These strong black loops are sprayed over a partly erased but still visible background of various abstract patterns, inspired from Rauschenberg's Erased de Kooning Drawing.
P244 was sold for $ 13.2M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Sotheby's on November 18, 2021, lot 103.
The untitled opus P219 is an enamel on aluminum 228 x 152 cm painted in the same year. The mingled looping lines generated some drippings, anticipating by ten years the style of Twombly's Bacchus. On the background, pre-existing floral patterns had been erased by a layer of white.
P219 was sold for $ 10.4M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2019, lot 21.
These strong black loops are sprayed over a partly erased but still visible background of various abstract patterns, inspired from Rauschenberg's Erased de Kooning Drawing.
P244 was sold for $ 13.2M from a lower estimate of $ 6M by Sotheby's on November 18, 2021, lot 103.
The untitled opus P219 is an enamel on aluminum 228 x 152 cm painted in the same year. The mingled looping lines generated some drippings, anticipating by ten years the style of Twombly's Bacchus. On the background, pre-existing floral patterns had been erased by a layer of white.
P219 was sold for $ 10.4M by Sotheby's on November 14, 2019, lot 21.
1995 Hothouse Doll by Nara
2020 SOLD for HK$ 103M by Phillips in association with Poly
Yoshitomo Nara spent twelve years in Germany, from 1988 to 1994 studying art in Düsseldorf and until 2000 in his studio in Cologne. The clear line appeals to the Japanese, accustomed to prints and manga.
To express his relationship to the world, the artist paints portraits of baby girls, with changing facial expressions. They do not play. They are malicious or treacherous. The color of the garment confirms the expression : light blue to be nice, deep red to be nasty.
On December 3, 2020, Phillips in association with Poly sold at lot 5 for HK $ 103M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M Hothouse Doll - in the White Room III. It is illustrated by Phillips in a very short video.
Painted in 1995, this acrylic on canvas 120 x 110 cm is a seminal work of this series. The title describes the scene. The child is seated, legs tight and arms dangling, like a doll that has been installed on the floor. Hothouse has a meaning of incubator : she wants to express a maturity greater than her apparent age in order to inspire adults. The space around her is uniformly white. She is a nice girl, with a blue dress.
The artist has given up the distortions of the face. The diverging strabismus of the wide almond-shaped eyes brings an enigmatic and distant temperament that the artist will reuse throughout his career.
The dual baby-doll may express the story of Nara's elder sister who had died in womb's mother one year before his own birth.
Executed in the same year, Lookin' for a Treasure features the girl as a treasure hunter in a golden dress. This acrylic on canvas 120 x 110 cm was sold for HK $ 84M by Phillips on March 30, 2023, lot 13.
To express his relationship to the world, the artist paints portraits of baby girls, with changing facial expressions. They do not play. They are malicious or treacherous. The color of the garment confirms the expression : light blue to be nice, deep red to be nasty.
On December 3, 2020, Phillips in association with Poly sold at lot 5 for HK $ 103M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M Hothouse Doll - in the White Room III. It is illustrated by Phillips in a very short video.
Painted in 1995, this acrylic on canvas 120 x 110 cm is a seminal work of this series. The title describes the scene. The child is seated, legs tight and arms dangling, like a doll that has been installed on the floor. Hothouse has a meaning of incubator : she wants to express a maturity greater than her apparent age in order to inspire adults. The space around her is uniformly white. She is a nice girl, with a blue dress.
The artist has given up the distortions of the face. The diverging strabismus of the wide almond-shaped eyes brings an enigmatic and distant temperament that the artist will reuse throughout his career.
The dual baby-doll may express the story of Nara's elder sister who had died in womb's mother one year before his own birth.
Executed in the same year, Lookin' for a Treasure features the girl as a treasure hunter in a golden dress. This acrylic on canvas 120 x 110 cm was sold for HK $ 84M by Phillips on March 30, 2023, lot 13.
1995 Bloodline : Big Family by Zhang Xiaogang
2020 SOLD for HK$ 98M by Christie's
Zhang Xiaogang was born in 1958, a few years before the Cultural Revolution. He began his career with symbolist themes such as the meaning of mankind. In 1989 the massacre of intellectuals in Tiananmen Square opened a new period of Chinese art.
In 1992 Zhang spent three months in Germany. Confused by the venality of European art, he decided to devote his art to a deeper expression of contemporary China. He will however be influenced by the re-use of banal photos by Richter.
When he returned to China, he found family photos of his childhood at his parents' house. In 1993 he produced a first painting showing his eldest brother between his parents. The face is light red. The family tie is made by two thin blood-red threads which link the baby to each of his parents. The incoherent lighting of the faces maintains a fantasy that is a tribute to Magritte.
The second opus is conceptually and politically more ambitious although the composition is similar. The baby with a bright yellow face is here the second elder brother. If the one-child policy in force in 1993 had been applicable in their childhood, that infant and also the artist himself should not have existed. The red threads become more visible. The baby brings no joy. Zhang managed to display an ugly being whose cross eyed do not match the original photo.
After these two works, Zhang defines the title of this new series as Bloodline - Big Family, to extend it to a global representation of the Chinese people who apply with a docile indifference the too strict rules of the new society.
The second opus thus becomes Bloodline - Big Family: Family No 2. This oil on canvas 110 x 130 cm executed in 1993 was sold for HK $ 52M by Sotheby's on April 2, 2012, lot 810.
In 1992 Zhang spent three months in Germany. Confused by the venality of European art, he decided to devote his art to a deeper expression of contemporary China. He will however be influenced by the re-use of banal photos by Richter.
When he returned to China, he found family photos of his childhood at his parents' house. In 1993 he produced a first painting showing his eldest brother between his parents. The face is light red. The family tie is made by two thin blood-red threads which link the baby to each of his parents. The incoherent lighting of the faces maintains a fantasy that is a tribute to Magritte.
The second opus is conceptually and politically more ambitious although the composition is similar. The baby with a bright yellow face is here the second elder brother. If the one-child policy in force in 1993 had been applicable in their childhood, that infant and also the artist himself should not have existed. The red threads become more visible. The baby brings no joy. Zhang managed to display an ugly being whose cross eyed do not match the original photo.
After these two works, Zhang defines the title of this new series as Bloodline - Big Family, to extend it to a global representation of the Chinese people who apply with a docile indifference the too strict rules of the new society.
The second opus thus becomes Bloodline - Big Family: Family No 2. This oil on canvas 110 x 130 cm executed in 1993 was sold for HK $ 52M by Sotheby's on April 2, 2012, lot 810.
Zhang Xiaogang's groups of two, three or four individuals multiply in 1994, all of them morally similar but physically different. They express the contradiction between the political requirement of an undifferentiated behavior and the need for everyone to live his own life. All characters face the viewer.
In 1995, the social revolution brought about by the events of Tiananmen Square is already lasting since six years. Zhang added only five paintings to his series but in very large size, 180 x 230 cm.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 3 of 1995 displays three characters. The facial lines are the same as if the individuality of the father, mother and unique child required by the authority were crushed by the system. Mao collar tunics are dull and military. The gaze is sad and the mouth is dumb.
The younger is slightly smaller in the middle. For preparing the future, he has been enlisted with the Comrades : he exhibits the Mao badge and the red armband. This family reveals in silence the social and political scream of Zhang : the dehumanized future that is offered to the Chinese is not acceptable.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 3 was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 47M on April 9, 2008 and for HK $ 94M on April 5, 2014, lot 145.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 2 from the same series was sold by Christie's on December 2, 2020 for HK $ 98M from a lower estimate of HK $ 38M, lot 119.
Bloodline - Big Family No. 12 stages three young men in black surrounding a young woman in red. This oil on canvas 150 x 190 cm painted in 1995 was sold for RMB 81M by Yongle on May 21, 2021, lot 1914.
In 1995, the social revolution brought about by the events of Tiananmen Square is already lasting since six years. Zhang added only five paintings to his series but in very large size, 180 x 230 cm.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 3 of 1995 displays three characters. The facial lines are the same as if the individuality of the father, mother and unique child required by the authority were crushed by the system. Mao collar tunics are dull and military. The gaze is sad and the mouth is dumb.
The younger is slightly smaller in the middle. For preparing the future, he has been enlisted with the Comrades : he exhibits the Mao badge and the red armband. This family reveals in silence the social and political scream of Zhang : the dehumanized future that is offered to the Chinese is not acceptable.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 3 was sold by Sotheby's for HK $ 47M on April 9, 2008 and for HK $ 94M on April 5, 2014, lot 145.
The Bloodline - Big Family No. 2 from the same series was sold by Christie's on December 2, 2020 for HK $ 98M from a lower estimate of HK $ 38M, lot 119.
Bloodline - Big Family No. 12 stages three young men in black surrounding a young woman in red. This oil on canvas 150 x 190 cm painted in 1995 was sold for RMB 81M by Yongle on May 21, 2021, lot 1914.
