2006
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Cui Ruzhuo Banksy Koons Time pieces Patek Philippe New watches
See also : Cui Ruzhuo Banksy Koons Time pieces Patek Philippe New watches
2006 Landscape in Snow by Cui Ruzhuo
2014 SOLD for HK$ 184M by Poly
Cui Ruzhuo assembles polyptychs composed of vertical panels painted in line and wash on paper in his signature finger ink technique. A single monumental work may occupy a full wall in an exhibition.
The themes chosen by Cui appeal to the Chinese sensitivity. His favorite is the unlimited landscape of snowy mountains, eternally indifferent to men.
Landscape in snow, painted in 2006, was sold for HK $ 184M by Poly on April 7, 2014, lot 2017. This ink and color on paper is an unfragmented hand scroll 64 cm x 36 m plus a frontispiece.
On the theme of the lotus, a set of eight scrolls 247 x 123 cm each was sold at lot 2237 for HK $ 124M by Christie's on 29 November 2011. The lotus are drawn with distorted shapes. This work is dated from early summer xinmao year matching 2011 CE, a few months before its auction.
The themes chosen by Cui appeal to the Chinese sensitivity. His favorite is the unlimited landscape of snowy mountains, eternally indifferent to men.
Landscape in snow, painted in 2006, was sold for HK $ 184M by Poly on April 7, 2014, lot 2017. This ink and color on paper is an unfragmented hand scroll 64 cm x 36 m plus a frontispiece.
On the theme of the lotus, a set of eight scrolls 247 x 123 cm each was sold at lot 2237 for HK $ 124M by Christie's on 29 November 2011. The lotus are drawn with distorted shapes. This work is dated from early summer xinmao year matching 2011 CE, a few months before its auction.
2006 KOONS
1
Hanging Heart
2007 SOLD for $ 23.6M by Sotheby's
In 2006 the Koons workshop succeeds in producing complex shapes including the Hanging heart with its fragile ribbon.
On November 14, 2007, Sotheby's sold for $ 23.6M from a lower estimate of $ 15M the Hanging Heart Magenta / Gold 296 x 216 x 102 cm, lot 14. This piece is from a series in five versions in chromium stainless steel covered with a transparent colored coating. It is dated 1994-2006.
Despite its huge dimensions, that heart is designed to be hanged, and the apparent lightness of this monster makes it a technical feat. The heart is decorated with gilded brass knots that look a bit like a gift package.
On November 14, 2007, Sotheby's sold for $ 23.6M from a lower estimate of $ 15M the Hanging Heart Magenta / Gold 296 x 216 x 102 cm, lot 14. This piece is from a series in five versions in chromium stainless steel covered with a transparent colored coating. It is dated 1994-2006.
Despite its huge dimensions, that heart is designed to be hanged, and the apparent lightness of this monster makes it a technical feat. The heart is decorated with gilded brass knots that look a bit like a gift package.
2
Cracked Egg
2014 SOLD for £ 14M by Christie's
With his series of Celebrations designed in 1994, Jeff Koons is one of very few contemporary artists who have managed to express joy. The Balloon Dog is a perfect example.
In 2006 the Cracked egg split in two parts is the first installation. The overturned egg's top placed on the floor moves the artist who compares this work with the shell of the Birth of Venus by Botticelli.
Made in five units of different colors like all the works of this series, Cracked egg is one of the simplest, strongest and most universal symbols. It is the normal fate of an egg to be broken, if it remains intact it is useless. Koons dedicated to his young son that symbol of birth.
The two elements 165 x 159 x 159 cm and 100 x 159 x 159 cm are empty with a silvery inner surface. The cracked edges have irregular shapes that would match together without gaps. The thinness of the walls is visible, contrary to all the previous themes, adding an impression of delicacy. It was one of the most difficult to realize, first by the sawtooth edge of both elements, and mainly by the need to obtain a perfectly polished surface both outside (colored) and inside (silvered).
Completed in 2006, the magenta Cracked egg is as sumptuous as a gorgeous Easter egg. It was sold for £ 14M by Christie's on February 13, 2014.
In 2006 the Cracked egg split in two parts is the first installation. The overturned egg's top placed on the floor moves the artist who compares this work with the shell of the Birth of Venus by Botticelli.
Made in five units of different colors like all the works of this series, Cracked egg is one of the simplest, strongest and most universal symbols. It is the normal fate of an egg to be broken, if it remains intact it is useless. Koons dedicated to his young son that symbol of birth.
The two elements 165 x 159 x 159 cm and 100 x 159 x 159 cm are empty with a silvery inner surface. The cracked edges have irregular shapes that would match together without gaps. The thinness of the walls is visible, contrary to all the previous themes, adding an impression of delicacy. It was one of the most difficult to realize, first by the sawtooth edge of both elements, and mainly by the need to obtain a perfectly polished surface both outside (colored) and inside (silvered).
Completed in 2006, the magenta Cracked egg is as sumptuous as a gorgeous Easter egg. It was sold for £ 14M by Christie's on February 13, 2014.
2006 Love is in the Air by BANKSY
Intro
The street artist behind the Banksy pseudonym is not identified but that does not prevent him to promote worldwide his disobedient political message. In August 2005 a few new stenciled images appear on walls in the Palestinian territories doomed by war, guerrilla and violence for decades.
Love is in the air is one of them. It illustrated the cover page of Banksy's book Wall and Piece, dated 2005.
A contester is in the position of throwing a Molotov cocktail in a strong and determined gesture. What he holds is not a weapon but a bouquet of flowers, in the follow of the Hippie anti Vietnam war flower power movement of the 1960s.
A few replicas were made in oil and spray paint on canvas 90 x 90 cm, displaying the bright colors of the blooms.
Love is in the air is one of them. It illustrated the cover page of Banksy's book Wall and Piece, dated 2005.
A contester is in the position of throwing a Molotov cocktail in a strong and determined gesture. What he holds is not a weapon but a bouquet of flowers, in the follow of the Hippie anti Vietnam war flower power movement of the 1960s.
A few replicas were made in oil and spray paint on canvas 90 x 90 cm, displaying the bright colors of the blooms.
1
06/05/05
2021 SOLD for $ 13M by Sotheby's
An example is dated 06/05/05 which is tentatively read as May 5, 2006, not as June 5, 2005 that would precede the original on the Palestinian wall. Other identical piece are dated April and May 2006.
It was sold for $ 13M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Sotheby's on May 12, 2021, lot 104.
It was sold for $ 13M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Sotheby's on May 12, 2021, lot 104.
2
13/15
2021 SOLD for $ 8.1M by Sotheby's
The 13/15 dated May 2006 was sold for $ 8.1M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by Sotheby's on November 18, 2021, lot 12.
The 5/15 of the 2006 Love is in the air, oil and spray on canvas 91 x 91 cm dated 24/4/2006, was sold for HK $ 51M by Sotheby's on April 27, 2022, lot 1126. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The 5/15 of the 2006 Love is in the air, oil and spray on canvas 91 x 91 cm dated 24/4/2006, was sold for HK $ 51M by Sotheby's on April 27, 2022, lot 1126. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
2006 full set of four Calibre 2000 by Patek Philippe
2025 SOLD for $ 12M by Sotheby's
A full original set of four high complication Patek Philippe Calibre 2000 pocket watches assembled ca 2006 was sold for $ 12M by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342.
Another single watch had been narrated by ArtHitParade as follows :
The Calibre 89 with its 33 complications was made in 4 units in 1989. It is a marvel of miniaturization, but not enough to be worn on the wrist : it weighs 1,100 grams and its 1,728 components are positioned in a case of 89 mm in diameter and 41 mm thick.
For entering the new millennium, the Swiss brand is preparing a new feat. In 2008 the Star Calibre 2000 is ready.
The Star Calibre 2000 is smaller than the Calibre 89 with "only" 73 mm in diameter, 32 mm thick and 530 grams, but it includes 21 complications, some of which show a really renewed imagination.
Perpetual calendar, equation of time, minute repeater are classical complications. We also find in this model the time of crossing the meridian by the Moon and Sirius, the sky chart and the ring that mimics the Westminster chimes. It is protected by six patents, one of which for the time of sunrise and sunset.
A 18k gold Star Calibre 2000 assembled ca 2008 was sold for HK $ 25M by Christie's on November 28, 2012, lot 2952.
Asking Grok : Relying on a never used full set of four Star Calibre (Star Caliber) 2000 for sale by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342, assess the importance of this model in Patek Philippe history.
Overview of the Star Caliber 2000
The Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 (also spelled Star Calibre 2000) is a double-sided pocket watch unveiled in 2000 to commemorate the new millennium. Measuring 73.22 mm in diameter and weighing over half a kilogram, it represents a pinnacle of haute horlogerie, blending astronomical, calendar, and chiming functions in a single, user-friendly mechanism. Developed over seven years (conceived in 1993 and completed in October 2000) under the direction of then-president Philippe Stern, it involved dozens of artisans and external specialists, including case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann and engraver Christian Thibert. Its cases, in bassine style with Renaissance-inspired engravings, were produced in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
Technical Specifications and Innovations
At its core, the Star Caliber 2000 features:
Rarity and Production Details
Patek produced only 20 examples, organized into five complete sets:
This extreme scarcity underscores its status as a "phantom" masterpiece—little-seen, even by experts, until now.
Historical Importance in Patek Philippe's Legacy
The Star Caliber 2000 holds a pivotal place in Patek Philippe's 185-year history as a bridge between the brand's storied tradition of supercomplications and modern horological philosophy:
Significance of the Sotheby's Lot 342 Offering
This "never used" full set—presumably one of the four mixed-metal sets, in pristine condition with original box, documents, and accessories—marks a historic debut: The first complete set ever to appear at public auction. Offered as Lot 342 on December 5, 2025, during Sotheby's inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week (in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office), it carries an estimate in excess of $10 million—the second-highest for any watch (behind only the Graves' $24 million in 2014). This could shatter records for Patek pocket watches and highlight the Middle East's emerging role in luxury collecting.
The lot's untouched state amplifies its allure: It offers not just rarity but completeness, allowing a collector to own the full spectrum of metals and engravings. As Sotheby's Global Chairman of Watches Sam Hines notes, it's a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity, potentially drawing institutional bids. This sale elevates the Star Caliber from legend to tangible icon, ensuring its legacy endures beyond private vaults. For Patek enthusiasts, it reaffirms the model's transformative importance—a mechanical symphony that, 25 years on, still outshines most contemporaries in ingenuity and grace.
Another single watch had been narrated by ArtHitParade as follows :
The Calibre 89 with its 33 complications was made in 4 units in 1989. It is a marvel of miniaturization, but not enough to be worn on the wrist : it weighs 1,100 grams and its 1,728 components are positioned in a case of 89 mm in diameter and 41 mm thick.
For entering the new millennium, the Swiss brand is preparing a new feat. In 2008 the Star Calibre 2000 is ready.
The Star Calibre 2000 is smaller than the Calibre 89 with "only" 73 mm in diameter, 32 mm thick and 530 grams, but it includes 21 complications, some of which show a really renewed imagination.
Perpetual calendar, equation of time, minute repeater are classical complications. We also find in this model the time of crossing the meridian by the Moon and Sirius, the sky chart and the ring that mimics the Westminster chimes. It is protected by six patents, one of which for the time of sunrise and sunset.
A 18k gold Star Calibre 2000 assembled ca 2008 was sold for HK $ 25M by Christie's on November 28, 2012, lot 2952.
Asking Grok : Relying on a never used full set of four Star Calibre (Star Caliber) 2000 for sale by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342, assess the importance of this model in Patek Philippe history.
Overview of the Star Caliber 2000
The Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 (also spelled Star Calibre 2000) is a double-sided pocket watch unveiled in 2000 to commemorate the new millennium. Measuring 73.22 mm in diameter and weighing over half a kilogram, it represents a pinnacle of haute horlogerie, blending astronomical, calendar, and chiming functions in a single, user-friendly mechanism. Developed over seven years (conceived in 1993 and completed in October 2000) under the direction of then-president Philippe Stern, it involved dozens of artisans and external specialists, including case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann and engraver Christian Thibert. Its cases, in bassine style with Renaissance-inspired engravings, were produced in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
Technical Specifications and Innovations
At its core, the Star Caliber 2000 features:
- 21 complications, including:
- Perpetual calendar with leap year cycle and rapid correction (advances up to one month at a time).
- Westminster chimes (Grande Sonnerie on passing and minute repeater on demand), the first faithful mechanical reproduction of Big Ben's sequence, achieved via a patented dual-tone striking mechanism.
- Astronomical displays: Sky chart, lunar orbit, moon phases, time of meridian passage by Sirius and the Moon, sunrise/sunset times (controlled by the perpetual calendar), and running equation of time (via a central star-tipped hand).
- Power reserve indicators for the movement (72 hours) and chime.
- 24-hour display and constant seconds with seasons.
- 1,118 hand-finished components, making it one of the most intricate movements Patek has produced.
- Six patented inventions, such as the selective opening cover, rapid calendar corrector, and perpetual calendar integration for astronomical functions.
Rarity and Production Details
Patek produced only 20 examples, organized into five complete sets:
- Four sets: One watch each in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
- One set: All four in platinum, with unique engravings.
This extreme scarcity underscores its status as a "phantom" masterpiece—little-seen, even by experts, until now.
Historical Importance in Patek Philippe's Legacy
The Star Caliber 2000 holds a pivotal place in Patek Philippe's 185-year history as a bridge between the brand's storied tradition of supercomplications and modern horological philosophy:
- Ranked Among the Elite: Upon release, it was the fourth most complicated watch ever (behind Patek's Caliber 89, the 1904 L. Leroy 01, and the 1933 Henry Graves Supercomplication). Within Patek's oeuvre, it ranks third in complexity, affirming the brand's unchallenged dominance in mechanical innovation. It succeeded the Caliber 89 (Patek's 150th-anniversary tribute) and echoed the Graves' bespoke grandeur, but with a forward-looking emphasis on "practical poetry"—focusing on life's rhythms (time, stars, seasons) rather than exhaustive complication counts.
- Millennial Milestone: Conceived amid Y2K anticipation, it symbolized Patek's transition into the 21st century, much like the Caliber 89 did for the late 20th. It demonstrated the manufacture's ability to evolve: While predecessors like the Graves took six years for one client, the Star Caliber was a collaborative triumph, involving team watchmaking (one artisan alone would have needed 18 years). This foreshadowed Patek's later advances, such as silicon-based components (e.g., Spiromax balance spring in 2006) and wristwatch supercomplications like the Sky Moon Tourbillon (Ref. 5002).
- Innovation and Philosophy: Beyond mechanics, it embodies Patek's ethos: Preserving traditions (e.g., hand-engraving, Westminster chimes) while pioneering user-centric designs. The patented chime mechanism, for instance, resolved longstanding acoustic challenges, influencing subsequent minute repeaters. Its astronomical focus—sky chart, Sirius transit—evokes Patek's 19th-century celestial watches, while the rapid corrector addressed modern disuse. Patek even published a dedicated book (with DVD and 3D animations) to demystify its "enchanting world," educating collectors on this fusion of art and science.
- Cultural and Market Impact: Rarely discussed even among connoisseurs due to its privacy, the model has "changed the history of watchmaking" by elevating pocket watches as sculptural art in an era of wristwatches. Its 2000 debut coincided with watch collecting's rise (Sotheby's watch sales grew from $26.8 million that year to $158.3 million by 2024), positioning Patek as the aspirational apex.
Significance of the Sotheby's Lot 342 Offering
This "never used" full set—presumably one of the four mixed-metal sets, in pristine condition with original box, documents, and accessories—marks a historic debut: The first complete set ever to appear at public auction. Offered as Lot 342 on December 5, 2025, during Sotheby's inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week (in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office), it carries an estimate in excess of $10 million—the second-highest for any watch (behind only the Graves' $24 million in 2014). This could shatter records for Patek pocket watches and highlight the Middle East's emerging role in luxury collecting.
The lot's untouched state amplifies its allure: It offers not just rarity but completeness, allowing a collector to own the full spectrum of metals and engravings. As Sotheby's Global Chairman of Watches Sam Hines notes, it's a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity, potentially drawing institutional bids. This sale elevates the Star Caliber from legend to tangible icon, ensuring its legacy endures beyond private vaults. For Patek enthusiasts, it reaffirms the model's transformative importance—a mechanical symphony that, 25 years on, still outshines most contemporaries in ingenuity and grace.
2006 Woldgate Woods by Hockney
2016 SOLD for $ 11.7M by Sotheby's
David Hockney lives between England and California. He began his artistic career at the time of Pop Art and showed private residences in Los Angeles with their swimming pools and their owners.
He is an unsatisfied photographer. The wide-angle lens distorts reality and breaks the grandeur of a landscape. He restores his emotional perception with photomontages of multiple elements.
In 2005 Hockney retrieves his childhood memories in East Yorkshire, a rural area little affected by modernism. He reinspects Constable and Monet. For nearly four years, he puts his easel at a crossing of roads and observes the changes of the seasons. This series of paintings of Woldgate Woods includes nine opus each one consisting of two rows of three panels, with another vantage point in the middle of each panel.
On November 17, 2016, Sotheby's sold for $ 11.7M the autumn scenery painted from 24 to 26 October 2006 under a blue sky, an assembly of oils on canvas for an overall 183 x 366 cm, lot 43.
The spring 2006 opus numbered Woldgate Woods II was painted by Hockney on 16 and 17 May in the same six part format as the autumn example above, with exactly the same view but with a white sky. It passed at Sotheby's on June 29, 2022, lot 15. The 2006 summer view was painted on July 26, 27 and 30 and the winter view from December 4 to 6.
This rejection of the laws of perspective culminates in 2007 with the monumental Bigger Trees near Warter, also in Yorkshire, measuring 457 x 1219 cm in 50 panels.
These gigantic mural reconstructions of a landscape as seen through windows in a showroom appeal to the public. A snowy mountain 300 x 873 cm painted in 2013 in eight panels by Cui Ruzhuo was sold for HK $ 306M by Poly on April 4, 2016.
He is an unsatisfied photographer. The wide-angle lens distorts reality and breaks the grandeur of a landscape. He restores his emotional perception with photomontages of multiple elements.
In 2005 Hockney retrieves his childhood memories in East Yorkshire, a rural area little affected by modernism. He reinspects Constable and Monet. For nearly four years, he puts his easel at a crossing of roads and observes the changes of the seasons. This series of paintings of Woldgate Woods includes nine opus each one consisting of two rows of three panels, with another vantage point in the middle of each panel.
On November 17, 2016, Sotheby's sold for $ 11.7M the autumn scenery painted from 24 to 26 October 2006 under a blue sky, an assembly of oils on canvas for an overall 183 x 366 cm, lot 43.
The spring 2006 opus numbered Woldgate Woods II was painted by Hockney on 16 and 17 May in the same six part format as the autumn example above, with exactly the same view but with a white sky. It passed at Sotheby's on June 29, 2022, lot 15. The 2006 summer view was painted on July 26, 27 and 30 and the winter view from December 4 to 6.
This rejection of the laws of perspective culminates in 2007 with the monumental Bigger Trees near Warter, also in Yorkshire, measuring 457 x 1219 cm in 50 panels.
These gigantic mural reconstructions of a landscape as seen through windows in a showroom appeal to the public. A snowy mountain 300 x 873 cm painted in 2013 in eight panels by Cui Ruzhuo was sold for HK $ 306M by Poly on April 4, 2016.
2006 Untitled (After Sam) by Stingel
2017 SOLD for $ 10.6M by Christie's
The role of the artist is changing. With Felix Gonzalez-Torres and later with Rudolf Stingel the viewer interacts with the creation. We remember a Gonzalez-Torres carpet of candies from which a young child innocent of art took some samples.
In an early series Stingel displays on the floor the carpets in which the visitors of his exhibitions leave the mark of their footsteps. The effect is improved when the boots are previously dipped in lacquer.
Stingel uses to state that all art is autobiographical. In 2005, aged 49, he stages himself for a series of photographical portraits by Sam Samore. His melancholy of a mid life crisis brings a reflection about his own future and death.
His gray and white hyperrealistic paintings from these photos are titled Untitled (After Sam), not identifying that the artist is the displayed character. This series somehow retrieves the signature photographic banality of Gerhard Richter.
An oil on canvas 39 x 53 cm painted in 2005 was sold for $ 900K by Phillips on November 8, 2010, lot 3. Stingel reclines on a bed with an evasive gaze.
In 2006 the Untitled (After Sam) series includes four monumental self portraits in oil on canvas. One of them, 335 x 460 cm, raising his head over hunched shoulders with a sad pensive face, was sold for $ 10.6M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 35 B.
In an early series Stingel displays on the floor the carpets in which the visitors of his exhibitions leave the mark of their footsteps. The effect is improved when the boots are previously dipped in lacquer.
Stingel uses to state that all art is autobiographical. In 2005, aged 49, he stages himself for a series of photographical portraits by Sam Samore. His melancholy of a mid life crisis brings a reflection about his own future and death.
His gray and white hyperrealistic paintings from these photos are titled Untitled (After Sam), not identifying that the artist is the displayed character. This series somehow retrieves the signature photographic banality of Gerhard Richter.
An oil on canvas 39 x 53 cm painted in 2005 was sold for $ 900K by Phillips on November 8, 2010, lot 3. Stingel reclines on a bed with an evasive gaze.
In 2006 the Untitled (After Sam) series includes four monumental self portraits in oil on canvas. One of them, 335 x 460 cm, raising his head over hunched shoulders with a sad pensive face, was sold for $ 10.6M by Christie's on May 17, 2017, lot 35 B.
2006 TWOMBLY
1
2015 SOLD for £ 8M by Phillips
Until the end of his life, Twombly explored his original communication process. The lines became nervous, thick and messy with a violent color, and drips made the message looking like a liquid tag on a wall.
Painted in 2006, an acrylic on canvas 215 x 168 cm displays three monumental lines of irregular hectic lasso loops below an aborted upper line. The dripping appearing from all these lines are red brown, as for the lines themselves. The lines are eroded at some points.
This Untitled was sold for $ 9M by Phillips de Pury on November 7, 2011, lot 20 and by Phillips for £ 8M on October 14, 2015, lot 20 and for $ 8.6M on May 18, 2022, lot 29. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is a bloody scream, though we cannot guess against whom or against what such a disapproval is expressed. Perhaps against the whole world.
Painted in 2006, an acrylic on canvas 215 x 168 cm displays three monumental lines of irregular hectic lasso loops below an aborted upper line. The dripping appearing from all these lines are red brown, as for the lines themselves. The lines are eroded at some points.
This Untitled was sold for $ 9M by Phillips de Pury on November 7, 2011, lot 20 and by Phillips for £ 8M on October 14, 2015, lot 20 and for $ 8.6M on May 18, 2022, lot 29. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It is a bloody scream, though we cannot guess against whom or against what such a disapproval is expressed. Perhaps against the whole world.
2
2014 SOLD for $ 10.2M by Sotheby's
Cy Twombly retrieves his signature theme of the lasso loops in 2004 with his Bacchus series. The vermilion red figures evoking violence and wine go beyond the semi-automatic proto-writing to become a magma. The use of large brushes increases the width of the line. He adds drippings which demonstrate the liquid phase of his raw paint.
The ageing artist enters with these Bacchus in a frenzy of creativity that will last until 2008, working on each painting up to the physical exhaustion.
The opus V of the first Bacchus series, 266 x 200 cm, was sold for $ 15.4M by Sotheby's on May 11, 2016. A giant opus of the second Bacchus series painted in 2005, 325 x 494 cm, with a better separation of the loops, was sold for $ 46M by Christie's on November 15, 2017.
In 2006 Twombly reconsiders the shape of the loops. A 215 x 168 cm painting with uneven and jerky red loops was sold for £ 8M by Phillips in 2015.
An Untitled painted at the end of 2006 brings an additional refinement by associating the decrepitude of the loops with the black and white monochrome blackboards which made his fame 35 years earlier. The new thickness of the line brings a dazzling white modulated by variations in intensity that give a depth effect to the loops.
This acrylic on canvas 215 x 166 cm was sold for $ 10.2M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2014 and for $ 9.7M by Christie's on November 13, 2019, lot 19 B.
The ageing artist enters with these Bacchus in a frenzy of creativity that will last until 2008, working on each painting up to the physical exhaustion.
The opus V of the first Bacchus series, 266 x 200 cm, was sold for $ 15.4M by Sotheby's on May 11, 2016. A giant opus of the second Bacchus series painted in 2005, 325 x 494 cm, with a better separation of the loops, was sold for $ 46M by Christie's on November 15, 2017.
In 2006 Twombly reconsiders the shape of the loops. A 215 x 168 cm painting with uneven and jerky red loops was sold for £ 8M by Phillips in 2015.
An Untitled painted at the end of 2006 brings an additional refinement by associating the decrepitude of the loops with the black and white monochrome blackboards which made his fame 35 years earlier. The new thickness of the line brings a dazzling white modulated by variations in intensity that give a depth effect to the loops.
This acrylic on canvas 215 x 166 cm was sold for $ 10.2M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2014 and for $ 9.7M by Christie's on November 13, 2019, lot 19 B.
