2004
2004 Tulips by Koons
2012 SOLD for $ 33.7M by Christie's
After exploiting the stupidity of the contemporary symbols conveyed by the popular imaging, Jeff Koons began in 1994 his great series of Celebrations.
On November 14, 2012, Christie's sold at lot 38 for $ 33.7M an example of Tulips, which is an even more complex step in the development of the art of Koons. Please watch the video featured by Christie's, in which the artist himself introduces this artwork.
The subject, a bouquet of seven flowers placed on a surface, is simple and universally recognizable, like all other themes in the Celebrations. The artwork, completed in 2004, can not go unnoticed: 203 x 457 x 520 cm. It weighs 3 tons.
The tulips within the bouquet are of different colors, so that the interaction of their reflections covers the entire spectrum of light. The work was carried out in five units with different arrangements of colors, extrapolating the logics of the previous Celebrations, and the reflection of the surroundings and of the public remains an essential element of the exhibition of the artwork.
On November 14, 2012, Christie's sold at lot 38 for $ 33.7M an example of Tulips, which is an even more complex step in the development of the art of Koons. Please watch the video featured by Christie's, in which the artist himself introduces this artwork.
The subject, a bouquet of seven flowers placed on a surface, is simple and universally recognizable, like all other themes in the Celebrations. The artwork, completed in 2004, can not go unnoticed: 203 x 457 x 520 cm. It weighs 3 tons.
The tulips within the bouquet are of different colors, so that the interaction of their reflections covers the entire spectrum of light. The work was carried out in five units with different arrangements of colors, extrapolating the logics of the previous Celebrations, and the reflection of the surroundings and of the public remains an essential element of the exhibition of the artwork.
2004 Bacchus by TWOMBLY
Intro
Cy Twombly has always been hypersensitive to political violence whether it comes from myth or from current events. He lives in Gaeta which also houses a NATO naval base. The hypothesis that his series dedicated to Bacchus were triggered by Mediterranean maneuvers during the Iraq war may be considered.
His Bacchus are abstract paintings consisting of a tangle of vermilion loops on a light flesh-colored background. In 2004 the first set of six includes inscriptions from Greek attesting that Bacchus is not here the god of drinking and debauchery but is in his other role of personification of furious madness.
The legend of Bacchus interested Twombly by his earthiness that reaches pornography and transcends time. The paint is blood-red, to be considered here as a sign of vitality. The thick and energetic loops form a puddle from which the gravitation generates drippings.
The artist used a brush attached to a long pole, as Matisse had done for murals. This leverage increases the physical strength, offering an unexpected parallel between Twombly and Shiraga's Gutai.
The lasso loops rise and fall between the top and bottom of the picture in endless spirals. Painted by the artist with a wide brush at the end of a long stick, they are not comparable with the proto-writing loops on his blackboards 35 years earlier. Thin vertical drippings give an idea of the sticky wetness of blood or wine.
Twombly does not immediately exhibit this first series because its vertical format 2.66 m high is not conducive enough to the burst of feelings and perhaps also because his art must be expressive by itself to get rid of the inscriptions.
The artist makes the second Bacchus series in 2005 in eight paintings that are immediately exhibited as a whole set by Gagosian in New York.
His Bacchus are abstract paintings consisting of a tangle of vermilion loops on a light flesh-colored background. In 2004 the first set of six includes inscriptions from Greek attesting that Bacchus is not here the god of drinking and debauchery but is in his other role of personification of furious madness.
The legend of Bacchus interested Twombly by his earthiness that reaches pornography and transcends time. The paint is blood-red, to be considered here as a sign of vitality. The thick and energetic loops form a puddle from which the gravitation generates drippings.
The artist used a brush attached to a long pole, as Matisse had done for murals. This leverage increases the physical strength, offering an unexpected parallel between Twombly and Shiraga's Gutai.
The lasso loops rise and fall between the top and bottom of the picture in endless spirals. Painted by the artist with a wide brush at the end of a long stick, they are not comparable with the proto-writing loops on his blackboards 35 years earlier. Thin vertical drippings give an idea of the sticky wetness of blood or wine.
Twombly does not immediately exhibit this first series because its vertical format 2.66 m high is not conducive enough to the burst of feelings and perhaps also because his art must be expressive by itself to get rid of the inscriptions.
The artist makes the second Bacchus series in 2005 in eight paintings that are immediately exhibited as a whole set by Gagosian in New York.
1
II Psilax
2023 SOLD for $ 20M by Christie's
The 2004 Bacchus series of by Twombly is homogeneous in its six paintings for the blood red color and the composition with loops and drippings. Nevertheless the subtitle above the abstract figure may refer to Mainomenos or to Psilax, two major variants deploying the same nleashed energy in the impersonation of the god. While Mainomenos is raging, the winged Psilax is using the orgy to lift the soul of the sinners.
The number II in that first series is a Psilax. This acrylic, oilstick and crayon on wood pane 270 x 200 cm in an artist's wood frame was sold for $ 20M by Christie's on November 7, 2023, lot 12A.
Grok quote :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 8, 2023
#AuctionUpdate: From our 21st Century Evening Sale, Cy Twombly’s ‘Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version II)’ realizes $19.96M
The number II in that first series is a Psilax. This acrylic, oilstick and crayon on wood pane 270 x 200 cm in an artist's wood frame was sold for $ 20M by Christie's on November 7, 2023, lot 12A.
Grok quote :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 8, 2023
#AuctionUpdate: From our 21st Century Evening Sale, Cy Twombly’s ‘Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version II)’ realizes $19.96M
- Christie's post highlights the $19.96 million sale of Cy Twombly's 2004 abstract painting Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version II), a 9-foot-tall work from his Bacchus series evoking the Roman god of wine through spiraling red loops symbolizing ecstatic vines and classical mythology.
- Created in Twombly's late career, the piece exceeded its $18 million low estimate by 10% during the November 2023 21st Century Evening Sale, which totaled $107.5 million and underscored strong demand for postwar American abstraction amid market volatility.
- Twombly's graffiti-like scrawls blend personal emotion with ancient references, as noted in Christie's catalog; peer-reviewed art histories, like those in October journal, link such works to post-Abstract Expressionist innovations, making this sale a benchmark for his market value averaging over $10 million per major lot since 2010.
2
V Baccho Mainomenos
2016 SOLD for $ 15.4M by Sotheby's
Untitled (Bacchus 1st version V), executed in 2004 in Gaeta, is an acrylic, oilstick and wax on wood panel 266 x 200 cm. It was sold for $ 15.4M by Sotheby's on May 11, 2016, lot 25.
This work is totally abstract but its unambiguous theme is reinforced by the words Baccho Mainomenos inscribed with the same red color at the top of the image, evoking the most licentious pursuits of this very special god who invited his followers to indecency.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 12, 2016
#AuctionUpdate: Twombly’s Bacchus sells for $15.4m - the 1st time the series has appeared at auction
This work is totally abstract but its unambiguous theme is reinforced by the words Baccho Mainomenos inscribed with the same red color at the top of the image, evoking the most licentious pursuits of this very special god who invited his followers to indecency.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 12, 2016
#AuctionUpdate: Twombly’s Bacchus sells for $15.4m - the 1st time the series has appeared at auction
- Sotheby's 2016 post highlights the $15.4 million sale of Cy Twombly's "Untitled (Bacchus 1st Version V)," a vibrant red abstract from his 2005 Bacchus series evoking the Roman god of wine through chaotic, graffiti-like strokes—marking the series' auction debut after remaining in private collections.
- This sale anchored a $242.2 million contemporary evening auction in New York, exceeding estimates and featuring high-profile lots like Francis Bacon's works, signaling robust post-recession demand for post-war American abstraction.
- Twombly's Bacchus paintings, created late in his career, blend mythology with gestural energy; peer-reviewed art historical analyses, such as in Richard Shiff's "Twombly's Way" (Yale University Press, 2014), underscore their innovative fusion of classical references and modernist spontaneity, sustaining multimillion-doll
2004 Gast Hof by Doig
2014 SOLD for £ 10M by Christie's
It is not the usual practice of Peter Doig to paint self portraits.
He had in mind a multicolored stone wall in full light in front of the blurred landscape of a dam lake in the night as an experience of contrasts in tonalities and sharpness, opposing realistic photography and dreamlike memory. The paint would appear opaque when lit from the front and transparent when backlit.
He wanted to add two sentinels, also in the blur. He made his hand on a photo of himself with a friend in out of fashion regalia in the backstage of the English National Opera where he had a part time job as a dresser.
Doig began the painting in 2002 in London just before he left for Trinidad where it was completed. This oil on canvas 275 x 200 cm is dated 2002-04 by the artist. It is titled Gast Guest House Haus Hof after an old German post card which contributed to the inspiration.
Gast Hof was sold for £ 10M from a lower estimate of £ 3M by Christie's on July 1, 2014, lot 14. The abundant moustaches of the two characters make it impossible to discriminate which one is the selfie.
He had in mind a multicolored stone wall in full light in front of the blurred landscape of a dam lake in the night as an experience of contrasts in tonalities and sharpness, opposing realistic photography and dreamlike memory. The paint would appear opaque when lit from the front and transparent when backlit.
He wanted to add two sentinels, also in the blur. He made his hand on a photo of himself with a friend in out of fashion regalia in the backstage of the English National Opera where he had a part time job as a dresser.
Doig began the painting in 2002 in London just before he left for Trinidad where it was completed. This oil on canvas 275 x 200 cm is dated 2002-04 by the artist. It is titled Gast Guest House Haus Hof after an old German post card which contributed to the inspiration.
Gast Hof was sold for £ 10M from a lower estimate of £ 3M by Christie's on July 1, 2014, lot 14. The abundant moustaches of the two characters make it impossible to discriminate which one is the selfie.
2004 Abstraktes Bild by Richter
2013 SOLD for £ 8.4M by Christie's
The Abstraktes Bild from the 1990s are now the stars of the contemporary art market. Richter's rake is structuring the surface of the canvas where the colors clash. To our delight, Richter continued to explore the limitless language of abstraction.
On February 13, 2013, Christie's sold for £ 8.4M an Abstraktes Bild, 225 x 200 cm, made in 2004.
The shiny surface of the canvas does not provide any more contrast but a wonderful blend of rare tones from green to purple, like a huge painter's palette where the colors were mixed together before drying.
Only interrupted by one small horizontal rectangle, the overall movement is much vertical, like a cathedral of colors or maybe like a great musicalist inspiration at a time when the artist was captivated by John Cage.
With such a work that has lost all idea of shape, with his unconventional colors that mix in a supreme harmony, Richter in his recent works is possibly overcoming Rothko.
Cautiously, the auction house does not publish an estimate. No large work from that period had yet appeared at auction. On June 27, 2012, Christie's sold for £ 2.7 a 2005 Abstraktes Bild of smaller size, 113 x 75 cm.
On February 13, 2013, Christie's sold for £ 8.4M an Abstraktes Bild, 225 x 200 cm, made in 2004.
The shiny surface of the canvas does not provide any more contrast but a wonderful blend of rare tones from green to purple, like a huge painter's palette where the colors were mixed together before drying.
Only interrupted by one small horizontal rectangle, the overall movement is much vertical, like a cathedral of colors or maybe like a great musicalist inspiration at a time when the artist was captivated by John Cage.
With such a work that has lost all idea of shape, with his unconventional colors that mix in a supreme harmony, Richter in his recent works is possibly overcoming Rothko.
Cautiously, the auction house does not publish an estimate. No large work from that period had yet appeared at auction. On June 27, 2012, Christie's sold for £ 2.7 a 2005 Abstraktes Bild of smaller size, 113 x 75 cm.
2004 Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari Enzo. Compare chassis 137754, sold for € 6.5M by RM Sotheby's on April 25, 2026, lot 141, vs 137338, sold by RM Sotheby's on January 28, 2026, lot 193.
The Ferrari Enzo (Type F140, 2002–2004) is Ferrari’s early-2000s flagship hypercar, named after the company founder. It features a mid-mounted 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V12 (Tipo F140B) producing 660 hp at 7,800 rpm and 485 lb-ft (657 Nm) of torque at 5,500 rpm, mated to a 6-speed automated manual transaxle with paddle shifters and rear-wheel drive. The carbon-fibre monocoque and body (designed by Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina) incorporate extensive F1-derived technology, including active aerodynamics, pushrod suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a dry weight of approximately 1,255–1,360 kg. Performance figures include 0–100 km/h in ~3.3–3.65 seconds and a top speed of ~350 km/h. Only 498 examples were built (plus one extra for the Vatican), making it one of the most iconic modern Ferrari hypercars alongside the F40, F50, and LaFerrari.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two specified 2004 Ferrari Enzos, both European-spec examples:
Chassis 137754 (RM Sotheby's Monaco, Lot 141, April 25, 2026) see below
Chassis 137338 (RM Sotheby's Paris, Lot 193, January 28, 2026) see below
Key Comparison Points
The Ferrari Enzo (Type F140, 2002–2004) is Ferrari’s early-2000s flagship hypercar, named after the company founder. It features a mid-mounted 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V12 (Tipo F140B) producing 660 hp at 7,800 rpm and 485 lb-ft (657 Nm) of torque at 5,500 rpm, mated to a 6-speed automated manual transaxle with paddle shifters and rear-wheel drive. The carbon-fibre monocoque and body (designed by Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina) incorporate extensive F1-derived technology, including active aerodynamics, pushrod suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a dry weight of approximately 1,255–1,360 kg. Performance figures include 0–100 km/h in ~3.3–3.65 seconds and a top speed of ~350 km/h. Only 498 examples were built (plus one extra for the Vatican), making it one of the most iconic modern Ferrari hypercars alongside the F40, F50, and LaFerrari.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two specified 2004 Ferrari Enzos, both European-spec examples:
Chassis 137754 (RM Sotheby's Monaco, Lot 141, April 25, 2026) see below
Chassis 137338 (RM Sotheby's Paris, Lot 193, January 28, 2026) see below
Key Comparison Points
- Similarity: Both are 2004 European-spec Enzos with the full 660 hp V12, carbon monocoque, scissor doors, active aero, and F1-inspired engineering. They share the same core performance (brutal acceleration, high-revving character, and no-compromise road hypercar dynamics) and production rarity (1 of 498). Both come with Ferrari Classiche “Red Book” certification, tool kits, luggage sets, and manuals.
- Mileage/Usage: The biggest differentiator — 137338 is dramatically lower-mileage (286 km vs. 19,079 km) and more “time-capsule” preserved, having seen almost no use after early years. 137754 has real-world (but still relatively low) mileage with documented driving and maintenance, making it more proven as a usable collector car.
- Aesthetics/Provenance: 137754 stands out with its rare Argento Nürburgring exterior (1 of 9) and Rosso interior (1 of 5 in that combo), plus UK delivery history and magazine provenance — appealing to buyers wanting visual distinctiveness. 137338 emphasizes single long-term Italian ownership by a serious collector and pure originality/preservation over color rarity.
- Condition & Maintenance: Both are excellent, but 137338 wins on near-factory freshness, while 137754 benefits from recent servicing (including new tyres) and a transparent multi-specialist history file.
- Market/Price: Ultra-low-mileage, preserved Enzos like 137338 command significant premiums in the current market (selling well above estimate at €8.1M, aligning with other 2026 results in the $9M+ range for exceptional examples). 137754’s estimate (€4.9–5.3M) reflects its rarer color but higher mileage and more “driven” history. Broader Enzo values have strengthened in 2026, with low-mile or special-spec cars achieving strong results driven by collector demand for this F1-tech milestone hypercar.
- Which "Wins"? It depends on priorities: 137338 for ultimate originality, minimal usage, and time-capsule status (reflected in its realized price); 137754 for rare silver/Rosso specification, documented service trail, and potentially more accessible entry as a beautiful, drivable example in the glamorous Monaco setting. Both represent pinnacle early-2000s Ferrari engineering
chassis 137338
2026 SOLD for € 8.1M by RM Sotheby's
A 2004 Enzo was sold for € 8.1M from a lower estimate of € 3.8M by RM Sotheby's on January 28, 2026, lot 193.
Second-highest car of the Paris sale; one of 498 built; exceptional "time capsule" condition with ultra-low delivery mileage (just 286 km/178 miles); single-owner history with fastidious care; true "unicorn" in preservation terms. Benefited from the momentum of prior sales (post-Kissimmee and Arizona resets), achieving a strong European result despite being the "lowest" of the four—still far above pre-2026 norms, underscoring demand for near-new, untouched examples.
Chassis 137338 (RM Sotheby's Paris, Lot 193, January 28, 2026)
Second-highest car of the Paris sale; one of 498 built; exceptional "time capsule" condition with ultra-low delivery mileage (just 286 km/178 miles); single-owner history with fastidious care; true "unicorn" in preservation terms. Benefited from the momentum of prior sales (post-Kissimmee and Arizona resets), achieving a strong European result despite being the "lowest" of the four—still far above pre-2026 norms, underscoring demand for near-new, untouched examples.
Chassis 137338 (RM Sotheby's Paris, Lot 193, January 28, 2026)
- Color/Appearance: Color not explicitly detailed in auction materials (typical for many low-mileage preserved examples; most Enzos are Rosso Corsa, but this one is presented primarily for its condition rather than standout livery).
- Mileage/Usage: Just 286 km (~178 miles) — an ultra-low, time-capsule example with virtually no road use after initial delivery (no more than ~6,000 km total lifetime driving mentioned in context of preservation standards; essentially unused since a 2016 service).
- History/Provenance: Single-owner from new. Delivered in July 2004 via Rosso Corsa (Milan) to a preferred high-level Ferrari client in Busto Arsizio, Italy (scion of a major manufacturing family and collector who also owned a 275 GTB/4 and a 312 T3 F1 car). Ferrari Classiche certified in December 2025 with “Red Book,” confirming matching-numbers engine (No. 83276) and gearbox (No. 402). Part of a notable private collection.
- Condition & Maintenance: Exceptional “time-capsule” preservation in near-as-new condition. Serviced at GTO Motors in December 2016 with minimal activity thereafter. Offered essentially as a preserved, low-use example (described as “as-new for VAT purposes” and a “unicorn” among Enzos).
- Auction Context: Sold for €8,105,000 (~$9.9 million at contemporary exchange rates). This was a strong result in the context of early 2026 Enzo sales, reflecting a premium for extreme low mileage and single long-term ownership. Estimate had been €3,800,000–€4,200,000, showing significant bidder enthusiasm for originality.
chassis 137554
2026 SOLD for € 6.5M by RM Sotheby's
Chassis 137754 (RM Sotheby's Monaco, Lot 141, April 25, 2026)
- Color/Appearance: Argento Nürburgring (silver) exterior — one of only nine factory examples in this special non-standard shade (homage to the Nürburgring circuit); the sole silver Enzo delivered to the UK. Interior in Rosso (red) leather, one of only five silver Enzos with this combination; features extra-large seats, four-point harnesses, and a Rosso rev counter.
- Mileage/Usage: 19,079 km (~11,855 miles) at cataloguing — moderate for an Enzo but well-documented and cared for.
- History/Provenance: Delivered new on 21 June 2004 via Maranello Concessionaires Ltd (UK). First owner in the UK; later moved to Switzerland. Sold in 2019 via DK Engineering. Ferrari Classiche certified (May 2019) with “Red Book.” Featured as a magazine cover car (Auto Italia issue 158, 2009). Accompanied by a comprehensive history file with invoices, correspondence, service stamps, tool kit, bespoke Enzo luggage set, and Ferrari books/manuals.
- Condition & Maintenance: Well-maintained with a strong service history from Ferrari dealers and specialists (e.g., new clutch/flywheel in 2009, recent service and four new Pirelli tyres in January 2026 costing over €10,000, plus other works in 2019 and 2023). Described as bearing “superlative qualities” with excellent preservation for its mileage.
- Auction Context: Estimate €4,900,000–€5,300,000. Sold for € 6,530,000. Positioned as a rare-color, UK-delivered example with desirable options and documented history, ideal for enthusiasts seeking a drivable yet collectible Enzo.
2004 Le Minotaure by Lalanne
2021 SOLD for € 8M by Sotheby's
The fancy tales of Greek mythology inspire François-Xavier Lalanne. The very first flock of his signature Moutons seats was titled Pour Polyphème.
In 1990, in a special project for the park of an artistic center close to their home near Fontainebleau, Claude Lalanne adds a recliner onto the bull in a piece which is no more a usable seat. The character is the life size nude Europe abducted by her loving bull. The bronze prototype, 200 cm high, 202 cm long and 85 cm wide, was sold for € 1.24M by the Fontainebleau auction house Osenat on October 3, 2021, lot 1.
François-Xavier takes the follow in a nice example of mutual inspiration in the couple. His Minotaure, 202 x 190 x 67 cm, is exactly scaled like L'Enlèvement d'Europe. Made in 2004 in eight copies in patinated bronze sheet with the foundry mark of Bocquel, it is also definitely not a seat. It features the raised torso and hanging arms of a man between the proud horned head and the body of a bull.
Coming from the collection of Dorothée Lalanne, the Minotaure 4/8 was sold for € 8M from a lower estimate of € 1M by Sotheby's on November 4, 2021, lot 14.
In 1990, in a special project for the park of an artistic center close to their home near Fontainebleau, Claude Lalanne adds a recliner onto the bull in a piece which is no more a usable seat. The character is the life size nude Europe abducted by her loving bull. The bronze prototype, 200 cm high, 202 cm long and 85 cm wide, was sold for € 1.24M by the Fontainebleau auction house Osenat on October 3, 2021, lot 1.
François-Xavier takes the follow in a nice example of mutual inspiration in the couple. His Minotaure, 202 x 190 x 67 cm, is exactly scaled like L'Enlèvement d'Europe. Made in 2004 in eight copies in patinated bronze sheet with the foundry mark of Bocquel, it is also definitely not a seat. It features the raised torso and hanging arms of a man between the proud horned head and the body of a bull.
Coming from the collection of Dorothée Lalanne, the Minotaure 4/8 was sold for € 8M from a lower estimate of € 1M by Sotheby's on November 4, 2021, lot 14.
2004 Kimpsons by KAWS
2019 SOLD for HK$ 58M by Sotheby's
Brian Donnelly is a street artist. He began his career by adding zany attributes to posters in the New York bus shelters. He chooses KAWS as his artist name because he finds that the alignment of these four block letters is pretty.
He populates his universe with specific characters, as Disney had done. Like Koons and Murakami, he operates derivative products. His little toys are very popular. The largest of his inflatable dolls reaches 37 m and weighs 40 tons. The eyes in X, as on Haring's characters from beyond grave, are a signature feature of his art.
KAWS re-appropriates fictitious characters recognizable by the general public : Snoopy, Garfield, the Smurfs, Spongebob, Bibendum, and of course the Simpsons who take a parallel life under the name of Kimpsons.
An artwork painted in 2003 shows the Kimpson family sitting on a sofa. The father holds the TV remote control. This acrylic on canvas 102 x 102 cm painted in 2003 was sold for HK $ 21M iby Sotheby's on April 1, 2019 over a lower estimate of HK $ 4M. The sofa collapses without awakening its sitters : in the same sale, a painting of same date and size was sold for HK $ 20.6M.
The meeting of the Japanese fashion designer Nigo, creator of the clothing line Bape, is decisive for KAWS. A work painted in 2004 on a commission from Nigo shows the same sofa but now the family floats in weightlessness. This 275 x 244 cm acrylic on canvas was sold for HK $ 58M by Sotheby's on October 6, 2019, lot 1136.
Also commissioned by Nigo and painted in 2005, The Kaws Album displays the entire Kimpson family and their neighbors in a compact group that is a second-level appropriation, directly from the Yellow Album of the Simpsons and indirectly from Sgt. Pepper of the Beatles. In the April 1, 2019 auction referred above, this 102 x 102 cm acrylic on canvas was sold for HK $ 116M.
He populates his universe with specific characters, as Disney had done. Like Koons and Murakami, he operates derivative products. His little toys are very popular. The largest of his inflatable dolls reaches 37 m and weighs 40 tons. The eyes in X, as on Haring's characters from beyond grave, are a signature feature of his art.
KAWS re-appropriates fictitious characters recognizable by the general public : Snoopy, Garfield, the Smurfs, Spongebob, Bibendum, and of course the Simpsons who take a parallel life under the name of Kimpsons.
An artwork painted in 2003 shows the Kimpson family sitting on a sofa. The father holds the TV remote control. This acrylic on canvas 102 x 102 cm painted in 2003 was sold for HK $ 21M iby Sotheby's on April 1, 2019 over a lower estimate of HK $ 4M. The sofa collapses without awakening its sitters : in the same sale, a painting of same date and size was sold for HK $ 20.6M.
The meeting of the Japanese fashion designer Nigo, creator of the clothing line Bape, is decisive for KAWS. A work painted in 2004 on a commission from Nigo shows the same sofa but now the family floats in weightlessness. This 275 x 244 cm acrylic on canvas was sold for HK $ 58M by Sotheby's on October 6, 2019, lot 1136.
Also commissioned by Nigo and painted in 2005, The Kaws Album displays the entire Kimpson family and their neighbors in a compact group that is a second-level appropriation, directly from the Yellow Album of the Simpsons and indirectly from Sgt. Pepper of the Beatles. In the April 1, 2019 auction referred above, this 102 x 102 cm acrylic on canvas was sold for HK $ 116M.
2004 Nurse in Hollywood by Prince
2010 SOLD for $ 6.5M by Phillips de Pury
The Marlboro Man by Richard Prince was a mockery of the virility. From 2000, many years after the termination of the tobacco advertisement campaign, the availability of the digital techniques enables large size photos of the cowboy.
In 2002 the series of Nurses brings a female counterpart, now selected by the artist by re-appropriating jackets from dime-store medical fiction. The technique is changed to inkjet print finished in acrylic on canvas. They display the basic elements of modern pictorial success : large size, sex, death and often wealth.
By coincidence his appropriation of nurses anticipates by a few months the outbreak of the SARS coronavirus pandemic whose first cases appeared in November 2002.
Did Richard Prince intend to honor or degrade the woman condition ? His Nurse is in a medical uniform to do her hard healing work and yet she is concerned about her own sexuality and she attracts the affairs.
The answer is already provided by a significant exception from the seminal year, 2002. Prince is not the glamorous Lichtenstein. The Nurse of Greenmeadow is a cool vampyr girl with a dense pattern of crimson red drippings falling on her white overcoat from her hair and chin.
This Nurse 200 x 148 cm made in 2002 was sold for $ 8.6M by Christie's on May 12, 2014, lot 11. Prince's women are criminals, not victims. If there were some remaining doubt about the morality of these girls, it is cleared by an almost completely naked Intimate Nurse made in 2004, sold for $ 910K by Christie's on November 8, 2005.
The Man-Crazy Nurse was conceived in 2002 by Richard Prince and included in the seminal exhibition of the first series of Nurses from September 2003 at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery in New York. This original is dated 2002-03 by the artist. Selected from the collection of the late gallerist, this acrylic and inkjet on canvas 203 x 132 cm was sold for $ 4M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2025, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The three quarter length nurse is rigged with dense white drippings. The storied background of the book cover is replaced by a flaming vermilion.
The # 2, ink jet print and acrylic on canvas 200 x 148 cm dated 2002, was sold for $ 7.4M by Christie's on May 13, 2008 (reported in period by Artnet). The brunette of the original cover is now transformed into a blonde. The contrast of the title is improved.
Painted in 2003, the # 3 is a mid length figure with dripping limited to the white gown.
Also belonging to the original group of 2002, Park Avenue Nurse, 183 x 114 cm, was sold for $ 6.2M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2019, lot 4.
In 2002 the series of Nurses brings a female counterpart, now selected by the artist by re-appropriating jackets from dime-store medical fiction. The technique is changed to inkjet print finished in acrylic on canvas. They display the basic elements of modern pictorial success : large size, sex, death and often wealth.
By coincidence his appropriation of nurses anticipates by a few months the outbreak of the SARS coronavirus pandemic whose first cases appeared in November 2002.
Did Richard Prince intend to honor or degrade the woman condition ? His Nurse is in a medical uniform to do her hard healing work and yet she is concerned about her own sexuality and she attracts the affairs.
The answer is already provided by a significant exception from the seminal year, 2002. Prince is not the glamorous Lichtenstein. The Nurse of Greenmeadow is a cool vampyr girl with a dense pattern of crimson red drippings falling on her white overcoat from her hair and chin.
This Nurse 200 x 148 cm made in 2002 was sold for $ 8.6M by Christie's on May 12, 2014, lot 11. Prince's women are criminals, not victims. If there were some remaining doubt about the morality of these girls, it is cleared by an almost completely naked Intimate Nurse made in 2004, sold for $ 910K by Christie's on November 8, 2005.
The Man-Crazy Nurse was conceived in 2002 by Richard Prince and included in the seminal exhibition of the first series of Nurses from September 2003 at the Barbara Gladstone Gallery in New York. This original is dated 2002-03 by the artist. Selected from the collection of the late gallerist, this acrylic and inkjet on canvas 203 x 132 cm was sold for $ 4M by Sotheby's on May 15, 2025, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The three quarter length nurse is rigged with dense white drippings. The storied background of the book cover is replaced by a flaming vermilion.
The # 2, ink jet print and acrylic on canvas 200 x 148 cm dated 2002, was sold for $ 7.4M by Christie's on May 13, 2008 (reported in period by Artnet). The brunette of the original cover is now transformed into a blonde. The contrast of the title is improved.
Painted in 2003, the # 3 is a mid length figure with dripping limited to the white gown.
Also belonging to the original group of 2002, Park Avenue Nurse, 183 x 114 cm, was sold for $ 6.2M by Sotheby's on November 15, 2019, lot 4.
Painted in 2004, Nurse in Hollywood # 4 was sold for $ 6.5M by Phillips de Pury on May 13, 2010, lot 8. A nurse in close-up bears her cap and mask as if it were a burqa, and starts an insisting look toward the observer. This painting with a numbered suffix, 175 x 107 cm, is certainly a remake of a larger opus.
Painted in 2004, Nurse Kathy may be linked in its theme with the earliest examples of the series, where the woman is softly appealing. Here the young healer is gently downturning her eyes. In this case the medical mask is an addition to the source book cover.
This opus is characterized by color studies including a sort of halo around the head and faint blue unreadable traces of a text on the white overcoat in the follow of Johns or Twombly.
This inkjet and acrylic on canvas 196 x 117 cm was sold for $ 4.9M by Christie's on May 17, 2023, lot 43C.
Also in bust length but in a straighter attitude, Hurricane Nurse was painted in the same style and technique in the same year. The graphic of the title may remind Ed Ruscha. The color drippings flow from the right eye. The gaze is oblique. The purple background is enhanced by yellow flashes. This painting 175 x 106 cm was sold for £ 4.2M by Christie's on October 9, 2024, lot 15.
A transition to the naughty women of the second part of the series, Navy Nurse has a piercing gaze behind a cascade of blood. She is appropriated by Richard Prince from a 1969 book cover of which her male counterpart has been canceled. The white cloth covering the mouth is an addition by the artist. The inscriptions of the original cover fade behind the figure.
This inkjet and acrylic on canvas 193 x 138 cm executed in 2004 was sold for $ 5.7M by Christie's on July 10, 2020, lot 73.
Painted in 2004, Nurse Kathy may be linked in its theme with the earliest examples of the series, where the woman is softly appealing. Here the young healer is gently downturning her eyes. In this case the medical mask is an addition to the source book cover.
This opus is characterized by color studies including a sort of halo around the head and faint blue unreadable traces of a text on the white overcoat in the follow of Johns or Twombly.
This inkjet and acrylic on canvas 196 x 117 cm was sold for $ 4.9M by Christie's on May 17, 2023, lot 43C.
Also in bust length but in a straighter attitude, Hurricane Nurse was painted in the same style and technique in the same year. The graphic of the title may remind Ed Ruscha. The color drippings flow from the right eye. The gaze is oblique. The purple background is enhanced by yellow flashes. This painting 175 x 106 cm was sold for £ 4.2M by Christie's on October 9, 2024, lot 15.
A transition to the naughty women of the second part of the series, Navy Nurse has a piercing gaze behind a cascade of blood. She is appropriated by Richard Prince from a 1969 book cover of which her male counterpart has been canceled. The white cloth covering the mouth is an addition by the artist. The inscriptions of the original cover fade behind the figure.
This inkjet and acrylic on canvas 193 x 138 cm executed in 2004 was sold for $ 5.7M by Christie's on July 10, 2020, lot 73.
Inspiration, conception, execution and psychiatric interpretation of the Nurse series (from 2002) by Richard Prince.
Inspiration
Richard Prince's Nurse series, initiated in 2002, draws from his extensive personal collection of mid-20th-century pulp fiction romance novels featuring nurses as protagonists. These inexpensive dime-store books from the 1950s and 1960s, with lurid titles like Man-Crazy Nurse, Nympho Nurse, Dude Ranch Nurse, and Surfing Nurse, portrayed nurses as eroticized figures in melodramatic narratives blending romance, medicine, and sensuality. Prince, a voracious bibliophile, was captivated by their kitsch covers—often anonymous commercial illustrations depicting idealized, seductive women in white uniforms—and saw them as untapped material embodying American pop culture's fantasies. He has described the nurse archetype as evoking primal contradictions: care and danger, purity and sexuality, life and death. In interviews, Prince noted the figures "hit some kind of nerve," stating, "everybody needs a nurse," and linked their appeal to childhood fascinations with sex and mortality. The series coincided with real-world events like the SARS outbreak, where surgical masks became prominent, influencing his visual choices.
Conception
The series emerged as an evolution of Prince's long-standing appropriation practice, shifting from his iconic rephotographed Cowboys (Marlboro ads) to a female counterpart. Prince viewed the nurse as a gendered stereotype parallel to the macho cowboy—both mythic American icons constructed through mass media. Conceptually, it explores authorship, identity, anonymity, and desire: by repurposing commercial images, he questions originality while amplifying cultural clichés. The surgical mask, a key innovation, originated accidentally when Prince overpainted white areas; wiping it revealed a mask-like effect, which he embraced to unify the figures, erase individuality, and heighten mystery and fetishization. This ties into broader themes of masking/revealing in his work, turning nurses into ciphers for collective fantasies.
Execution
Technically, Prince scanned book covers, enlarged and inkjet-printed them onto canvas, then overlaid acrylic paint in gestural, expressive layers. He obscured backgrounds, text (except titles), male figures, and facial details, often extending the mask over eyes or mouths for anonymity. Colors are lurid and atmospheric—pinks, purples, reds—evoking horror or romance tropes, with drips and smears nodding to Abstract Expressionism (e.g., de Kooning's women, Rothko's fields). Later works added blood-like red drips. The result: large-scale (often life-size) paintings blending mechanical reproduction with painterly intervention, creating seductive yet ominous atmospheres. Debuted in 2003 at Sadie Coles HQ (London) and Barbara Gladstone Gallery (New York), the series marked Prince's return to painting after photographic works.
Psychiatric Interpretation
Critics and scholars often frame the series through psychoanalytic lenses, viewing the nurses as embodiments of repressed desires, fetishes, and the uncanny. The masked, anonymous figures evoke Freudian notions of the "uncanny" (familiar yet estranged) and objectification, reducing women to archetypes while inviting projection of viewer fantasies. Themes of care/death link to primal anxieties (e.g., Oedipal maternal figures or Thanatos/Eros drives). The eroticized caregiver contradicts purity with forbidden sexuality, suggesting taboo or constrained libido. Some interpretations see horror elements—dripping "blood," obscured faces—as evoking psychological dread or the return of the repressed in consumer culture. Prince himself embraces the ambiguity: seductive yet sinister, comforting yet threatening. Broader readings critique American spiritual voids, with nurses symbolizing hollow myths of femininity amid mass-media psychosis. While not overtly clinical, the works probe collective unconscious stereotypes, blending allure with unease.
Inspiration
Richard Prince's Nurse series, initiated in 2002, draws from his extensive personal collection of mid-20th-century pulp fiction romance novels featuring nurses as protagonists. These inexpensive dime-store books from the 1950s and 1960s, with lurid titles like Man-Crazy Nurse, Nympho Nurse, Dude Ranch Nurse, and Surfing Nurse, portrayed nurses as eroticized figures in melodramatic narratives blending romance, medicine, and sensuality. Prince, a voracious bibliophile, was captivated by their kitsch covers—often anonymous commercial illustrations depicting idealized, seductive women in white uniforms—and saw them as untapped material embodying American pop culture's fantasies. He has described the nurse archetype as evoking primal contradictions: care and danger, purity and sexuality, life and death. In interviews, Prince noted the figures "hit some kind of nerve," stating, "everybody needs a nurse," and linked their appeal to childhood fascinations with sex and mortality. The series coincided with real-world events like the SARS outbreak, where surgical masks became prominent, influencing his visual choices.
Conception
The series emerged as an evolution of Prince's long-standing appropriation practice, shifting from his iconic rephotographed Cowboys (Marlboro ads) to a female counterpart. Prince viewed the nurse as a gendered stereotype parallel to the macho cowboy—both mythic American icons constructed through mass media. Conceptually, it explores authorship, identity, anonymity, and desire: by repurposing commercial images, he questions originality while amplifying cultural clichés. The surgical mask, a key innovation, originated accidentally when Prince overpainted white areas; wiping it revealed a mask-like effect, which he embraced to unify the figures, erase individuality, and heighten mystery and fetishization. This ties into broader themes of masking/revealing in his work, turning nurses into ciphers for collective fantasies.
Execution
Technically, Prince scanned book covers, enlarged and inkjet-printed them onto canvas, then overlaid acrylic paint in gestural, expressive layers. He obscured backgrounds, text (except titles), male figures, and facial details, often extending the mask over eyes or mouths for anonymity. Colors are lurid and atmospheric—pinks, purples, reds—evoking horror or romance tropes, with drips and smears nodding to Abstract Expressionism (e.g., de Kooning's women, Rothko's fields). Later works added blood-like red drips. The result: large-scale (often life-size) paintings blending mechanical reproduction with painterly intervention, creating seductive yet ominous atmospheres. Debuted in 2003 at Sadie Coles HQ (London) and Barbara Gladstone Gallery (New York), the series marked Prince's return to painting after photographic works.
Psychiatric Interpretation
Critics and scholars often frame the series through psychoanalytic lenses, viewing the nurses as embodiments of repressed desires, fetishes, and the uncanny. The masked, anonymous figures evoke Freudian notions of the "uncanny" (familiar yet estranged) and objectification, reducing women to archetypes while inviting projection of viewer fantasies. Themes of care/death link to primal anxieties (e.g., Oedipal maternal figures or Thanatos/Eros drives). The eroticized caregiver contradicts purity with forbidden sexuality, suggesting taboo or constrained libido. Some interpretations see horror elements—dripping "blood," obscured faces—as evoking psychological dread or the return of the repressed in consumer culture. Prince himself embraces the ambiguity: seductive yet sinister, comforting yet threatening. Broader readings critique American spiritual voids, with nurses symbolizing hollow myths of femininity amid mass-media psychosis. While not overtly clinical, the works probe collective unconscious stereotypes, blending allure with unease.
