The Man
See also : Top 10 Painting Ancient painting Sculpture Italy Italy II Italian painting 1300-1700 Nude Giacometti England Bacon USA USA II Warhol Celebrities by Warhol Basquiat Holland Van Gogh Christianity Landscape Midi
Chronology : 16th century 1500-1519 19th Century 1880-1889 1890-1899 20th Century 1940-1949 1960-1969 1961 1963 1966 1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1982
Chronology : 16th century 1500-1519 19th Century 1880-1889 1890-1899 20th Century 1940-1949 1960-1969 1961 1963 1966 1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1982
1500 Between Last Supper and Mona Lisa
2017 SOLD for $ 450M including premium
The Salvator Mundi painted by Leonardo was known in workshop's copies but the original was considered lost. The meticulous inspection made by the experts with modern techniques has just brought one of these paintings to the rank of original with undeniable arguments.
The picture shows Christ holding the orb of the world in his left hand and blessing with the raised fingers of his right hand. The mystical message without the divine attribute of the halo competes with the holy shrouds recognized as authentic at his time while adding attitude and gesture. The orb that prophesies the rescue of the world is a reflective crystal ball through which the viewer perceives the palm of the hand.
This painting had belonged to King Charles I of England. It was probably hanging in the private apartments of Queen Henriette who was born in the French royal family. Its previous whereabouts are unknown. A possible hypothesis is a French royal order during the Italian wars. King Louis XII was so impressed by the Last Supper that he wanted to take the wall to France.
The analyzes provided a lot of information on the realization and history of this painting. The perfection of the expression is concentrated in the lips and the gaze, anticipating the Mona Lisa. The mouth was drawn by the technique of pierced drawing used by other great masters of that time including Raphael and Andrea del Sarto. One of the eyes was softened by a spread of color pushed by the wrist of the artist.
Leonardo cared little for the supporting materials. The conservation woes of the Last Supper are famous. The original panel of Salvator Mundi was early split because of a knot in the wood. The accident caused awkward repainting on the face. Anonymous owners then extended these repaints to the point that only peripheral regions including the hands were still visible in their original quality.
All of that has been conscientiously repaired. Fortunately the sfumato remained in very good condition under the disagreeable layers that were removed. This signature Leonardo technique makes it possible to compare the Salvator Mundi with the Mona Lisa which is the culmination of his art. The perfectionist preparation of his paintings could last several years. A date around 1500 is plausible for the Salvator Mundi.
Christ the savior of the world by Leonardo, oil on panel 66 x 46 cm, will be sold by Christie's in New York on November 15, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The picture shows Christ holding the orb of the world in his left hand and blessing with the raised fingers of his right hand. The mystical message without the divine attribute of the halo competes with the holy shrouds recognized as authentic at his time while adding attitude and gesture. The orb that prophesies the rescue of the world is a reflective crystal ball through which the viewer perceives the palm of the hand.
This painting had belonged to King Charles I of England. It was probably hanging in the private apartments of Queen Henriette who was born in the French royal family. Its previous whereabouts are unknown. A possible hypothesis is a French royal order during the Italian wars. King Louis XII was so impressed by the Last Supper that he wanted to take the wall to France.
The analyzes provided a lot of information on the realization and history of this painting. The perfection of the expression is concentrated in the lips and the gaze, anticipating the Mona Lisa. The mouth was drawn by the technique of pierced drawing used by other great masters of that time including Raphael and Andrea del Sarto. One of the eyes was softened by a spread of color pushed by the wrist of the artist.
Leonardo cared little for the supporting materials. The conservation woes of the Last Supper are famous. The original panel of Salvator Mundi was early split because of a knot in the wood. The accident caused awkward repainting on the face. Anonymous owners then extended these repaints to the point that only peripheral regions including the hands were still visible in their original quality.
All of that has been conscientiously repaired. Fortunately the sfumato remained in very good condition under the disagreeable layers that were removed. This signature Leonardo technique makes it possible to compare the Salvator Mundi with the Mona Lisa which is the culmination of his art. The perfectionist preparation of his paintings could last several years. A date around 1500 is plausible for the Salvator Mundi.
Christ the savior of the world by Leonardo, oil on panel 66 x 46 cm, will be sold by Christie's in New York on November 15, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Last Leonardo da Vinci Painting in Private Hands at Auction #salvatormundi @ChristiesInc https://t.co/Ea9TjrgW3O pic.twitter.com/NJBHcu5lu9
— ARTFIX daily (@ARTFIXdaily) October 10, 2017
1889 The Field beyond the Window
2017 SOLD for $ 81M including premium
On May 8, 1889 Vincent van Gogh enters the asylum for insanes of Dr. Peyron in Saint-Rémy de Provence. Rightly considered as dangerous for himself, he is not allowed to walk outside but a small workshop is attributed to him. In this narrow universe Vincent interprets the works of other artists and looks beyond the window through the thick bars.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
Supervised by the doctors, Vincent does not paint during his crises. He takes his brushes again in the last days of August. The window of his room looks to the east. The sun rising above the wheat field is blinding and hypnotic, and also reveals the bright colors that constitute the soil. The colors are intermingled like swirls, scars and tongues of fire with an extreme violence.
This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm is titled Laboureur dans un champ. The man, the horse and the plow in mid-distance against the light offer a new opus of the favorite theme of Vincent's career, a result of his lifelong empathy with the soil workers.
Healing through hard work that released his impulses was only an illusion but it produced unprecedented masterpieces. The next crisis comes in December.
Laboureur dans un champ will be sold as lot 28 A by Christie's in New York on November 13. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image below is shared by Wikimedia.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
Supervised by the doctors, Vincent does not paint during his crises. He takes his brushes again in the last days of August. The window of his room looks to the east. The sun rising above the wheat field is blinding and hypnotic, and also reveals the bright colors that constitute the soil. The colors are intermingled like swirls, scars and tongues of fire with an extreme violence.
This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm is titled Laboureur dans un champ. The man, the horse and the plow in mid-distance against the light offer a new opus of the favorite theme of Vincent's career, a result of his lifelong empathy with the soil workers.
Healing through hard work that released his impulses was only an illusion but it produced unprecedented masterpieces. The next crisis comes in December.
Laboureur dans un champ will be sold as lot 28 A by Christie's in New York on November 13. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image below is shared by Wikimedia.
1890 Portrait du Dr Gachet by Van Gogh
1990 SOLD 82.5 M$ before fees by Christie's
Shared by Wikimedia :
1947 The Primordial Trinity of Alberto Giacometti
2015 SOLD for $ 140M including premium
War is over. Alberto Giacometti appreciates that some new art is required and that his diminutive sculptures will not appeal anybody. His characters will be life-size. They will be threadlike as the floor lamps that the artist formerly conceived for Jean-Michel Frank.
Pierre Matisse is interested and promises to organize an exhibition in New York in January 1948 of this art which, in October 1947, does not yet exist. The works must be designed and the bronzes have to be melt. The artist is in a hurry. The meeting with the agents of the foundry is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Alberto is not ready.
He is not happy with his prototype and demolishes it. In a night of frenzied creation, he realizes L'Homme au doigt. When it is carried out for the factory, the plaster is achieved but it is still wet. Seven bronzes including an artist's proof are edited by the Alexis Rudier company.
The man points the finger to show the way to the other two sculptures in the trilogy, the walking man and the standing woman. This horizontal finger is a sign of authority, hope and renewal. L'Homme au doigt emits the founding message before disappearing from Alberto's creations, unlike the other two figures that will accompany his whole career.
The plaster was kneaded in a hurry, giving a tormented and scarred texture from which some observers said that L'Homme au doigt is Alberto's self portrait. One bronze, the number 6/6, was hand-painted by the artist. It strengthens the resemblance. The pointing man is not God between Adam and Eve, he is Alberto, the creative artist.
This number 6/6 178 cm high is the most outstanding piece of bronze by Alberto. It will be sold by Christie's on May 11 in New York, lot 29A. The press release of April 15 announced an estimate in the region of $ 130M.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
Pierre Matisse is interested and promises to organize an exhibition in New York in January 1948 of this art which, in October 1947, does not yet exist. The works must be designed and the bronzes have to be melt. The artist is in a hurry. The meeting with the agents of the foundry is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Alberto is not ready.
He is not happy with his prototype and demolishes it. In a night of frenzied creation, he realizes L'Homme au doigt. When it is carried out for the factory, the plaster is achieved but it is still wet. Seven bronzes including an artist's proof are edited by the Alexis Rudier company.
The man points the finger to show the way to the other two sculptures in the trilogy, the walking man and the standing woman. This horizontal finger is a sign of authority, hope and renewal. L'Homme au doigt emits the founding message before disappearing from Alberto's creations, unlike the other two figures that will accompany his whole career.
The plaster was kneaded in a hurry, giving a tormented and scarred texture from which some observers said that L'Homme au doigt is Alberto's self portrait. One bronze, the number 6/6, was hand-painted by the artist. It strengthens the resemblance. The pointing man is not God between Adam and Eve, he is Alberto, the creative artist.
This number 6/6 178 cm high is the most outstanding piece of bronze by Alberto. It will be sold by Christie's on May 11 in New York, lot 29A. The press release of April 15 announced an estimate in the region of $ 130M.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
1961 Man's Energy viewed by Giacometti
2010 SOLD 65 M£ including premium
The walking man is a favorite subject and perhaps also the most emblematic one in the sculpture work of Giacometti.
In 1960, for an order, the artist designs a life heighted walking man, 1.83 m. I dare not saying lifesize, because of its wiry structure. The symmetrical stride is a mark for energy, ambition and desire. The bronze provides an idea of solidity contradicted by the slender lines of the character. He comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. He is alone, as the "foreigner" of Camus.
The Homme Qui Marche I was edited in bronze the following year, 1961, by Susse in six numbered copies for trade and four artist's proofs. The serial number 2 / 6 is estimated £ 12 million, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 3. It is here, shared by AuctionPublicity.
The walking man is a close cousin to the Homme Qui Chavire (falling man), a copy of which was sold $ 19.3 million including premium by Sotheby's in New York on November 4, 2009. This one had the advantage of belonging to a period of great creativity by Giacometti (1951) but the disadvantage of being small (59 cm).
POST SALE COMMENT
All conditions were met for this sculpture to become the most important work of Giacometti at auction. It is an apotheosis for his art: £ 65 million including premium. It is a great price for a bronze: note that this version has been published in six numbered copies and four artist's proofs.
In 1960, for an order, the artist designs a life heighted walking man, 1.83 m. I dare not saying lifesize, because of its wiry structure. The symmetrical stride is a mark for energy, ambition and desire. The bronze provides an idea of solidity contradicted by the slender lines of the character. He comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. He is alone, as the "foreigner" of Camus.
The Homme Qui Marche I was edited in bronze the following year, 1961, by Susse in six numbered copies for trade and four artist's proofs. The serial number 2 / 6 is estimated £ 12 million, for sale by Sotheby's in London on February 3. It is here, shared by AuctionPublicity.
The walking man is a close cousin to the Homme Qui Chavire (falling man), a copy of which was sold $ 19.3 million including premium by Sotheby's in New York on November 4, 2009. This one had the advantage of belonging to a period of great creativity by Giacometti (1951) but the disadvantage of being small (59 cm).
POST SALE COMMENT
All conditions were met for this sculpture to become the most important work of Giacometti at auction. It is an apotheosis for his art: £ 65 million including premium. It is a great price for a bronze: note that this version has been published in six numbered copies and four artist's proofs.
1963 The King and the Bad Boy
2014 SOLD for $ 82M including premium
After exploiting the adoration of the public for two actresses, Marilyn and Liz, Andy Warhol looked at the male actors. OnNovember 12 in New York, Christie's sells two of his most outstanding works in this theme, the Triple Elvis (Ferus Type) and the Quadruple Marlon. Both men, each in his own way, embodied the rebellion of the younger generation.
The 1963 exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles gave an opportunity for the artist to prepare multiple images of the King on a silver background that evoked the movie screen. On 9 May 2012, Sotheby's sold for $ 37M including premium a Double Elvis (Ferus Type), 208 x 122 cm, for which the inequality of density of the two identical figures brings a feeling of frenzy.
For the Triple Elvis, lot 9 of the next sale, 208 x 173 cm, the three overlapping figures are of equal density but the momentum is provided by their unequal interval.
To honor Marlon in 1966, Andy uses an untreated canvas that enhances the brilliance. On most images, rarer than Elvis, the Bad Boy is a rebel confined to the right side of the canvas.
A Double Marlon 213 x 243 cm, was sold for $ 32M including premium at Christie's on 13 May 2008. The Four Marlons, lot 10 of the next sale, 206 x 165 cm, is the only in this series for which the image occupies the entire surface in two rows of two pictures.
Both lots, to be sold separately, come from a German collection built for decorating a casino. The press release of September 10 announced a global estimate in the region of $ 130M for the two lots.
I invite you to play the two videos shared by Christie's: Elvis andMarlon.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM
Triple Elvis : 82M
Four Marlons : 70M
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
The 1963 exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles gave an opportunity for the artist to prepare multiple images of the King on a silver background that evoked the movie screen. On 9 May 2012, Sotheby's sold for $ 37M including premium a Double Elvis (Ferus Type), 208 x 122 cm, for which the inequality of density of the two identical figures brings a feeling of frenzy.
For the Triple Elvis, lot 9 of the next sale, 208 x 173 cm, the three overlapping figures are of equal density but the momentum is provided by their unequal interval.
To honor Marlon in 1966, Andy uses an untreated canvas that enhances the brilliance. On most images, rarer than Elvis, the Bad Boy is a rebel confined to the right side of the canvas.
A Double Marlon 213 x 243 cm, was sold for $ 32M including premium at Christie's on 13 May 2008. The Four Marlons, lot 10 of the next sale, 206 x 165 cm, is the only in this series for which the image occupies the entire surface in two rows of two pictures.
Both lots, to be sold separately, come from a German collection built for decorating a casino. The press release of September 10 announced a global estimate in the region of $ 130M for the two lots.
I invite you to play the two videos shared by Christie's: Elvis andMarlon.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM
Triple Elvis : 82M
Four Marlons : 70M
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
1966 Four Marlons by Warhol
2014 SOLD for $ 70M including premium by Christie's
1966 Where are All his Lovers
2014 SOLD 42 M£ including premium
The sentimental history of Francis Bacon is complex. Dominated by the sadistic Peter, he himself went to be abusive to George. The relationship of Francis with alcohol is not unrelated with this apparent contradiction.
The painting of portraits in large size does not bring the impossible key to the temperament of Francis but enables to track his attempts of communication in life and beyond. He invariably used photos by John Deakin to make recognizable some personal elements of his models within the disasters of heads and bodies.
In 1962, just after the death of Peter in a drinking party, Francis painted Study for Portrait of PL, oil on canvas 198 x 145 cm. The man comfortably seated cross-legged on a sofa is discussing post-mortem while holding a glass of wine. This painting was estimated $ 30 million at Sotheby's on May 14, 2013. It has not been sold.
On February 13 in London , Christie's sells a portrait of George in nearly identical dimensions, painted in 1966 during the sitter's lifetime, lot 10 in the catalog. This painting is announced in the region of £ 30M by the press release.
The huge body of the boxer, probably naked, is writhing on a tiny stool. He communicates with a crooked mouth and an inexpressive gaze. Papers on the rug provide a link to his interlocutor. The physical strength of the body is balanced with the apparent size of the empty room looking enlarged like through a fish eye lens.
On 9 May 2012, Sotheby's sold $ 45 million including premium another portrait of George, again in the same size. Painted in 1976, five years after the suicide of his lover, this haunted image is one of the masterpieces by Francis.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
POST SALE COMMENT
Portraits of George Dyer by Francis Bacon are highly appreciated by the fans of the artist. This one was sold for £ 42M including premium.
The painting of portraits in large size does not bring the impossible key to the temperament of Francis but enables to track his attempts of communication in life and beyond. He invariably used photos by John Deakin to make recognizable some personal elements of his models within the disasters of heads and bodies.
In 1962, just after the death of Peter in a drinking party, Francis painted Study for Portrait of PL, oil on canvas 198 x 145 cm. The man comfortably seated cross-legged on a sofa is discussing post-mortem while holding a glass of wine. This painting was estimated $ 30 million at Sotheby's on May 14, 2013. It has not been sold.
On February 13 in London , Christie's sells a portrait of George in nearly identical dimensions, painted in 1966 during the sitter's lifetime, lot 10 in the catalog. This painting is announced in the region of £ 30M by the press release.
The huge body of the boxer, probably naked, is writhing on a tiny stool. He communicates with a crooked mouth and an inexpressive gaze. Papers on the rug provide a link to his interlocutor. The physical strength of the body is balanced with the apparent size of the empty room looking enlarged like through a fish eye lens.
On 9 May 2012, Sotheby's sold $ 45 million including premium another portrait of George, again in the same size. Painted in 1976, five years after the suicide of his lover, this haunted image is one of the masterpieces by Francis.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
POST SALE COMMENT
Portraits of George Dyer by Francis Bacon are highly appreciated by the fans of the artist. This one was sold for £ 42M including premium.
1969 How Bacon caught Freud
2013 SOLD 142 M$ including premium
As early as 1944, the triptych is the favorite medium of Bacon. The three perspectives cancel the plane of the canvas to provide to the viewer the mental illusion of a three-dimensional space.
Heads in small sizes often come to auction, but larger works are exceptional. On November 12 in New York, Christie's sells Three Studies of Lucian Freud, three oils on canvas painted in 1969, 198 x 148 cm for each element.
The two artists have been friends for nearly a quarter of century. Francis is in his George Dyer period and his appeal to Lucian has no reason to be erotic. Always looking for a total empathy with his entourage, Bacon pays tribute to a rival whom he admires. The seating position is gentle, but the colors and deformities of the face express the passions, in front of a strident yellow background.
Bacon locked Freud in a threadlike prism, similar to a squaring but proving his intent of the three-dimensional nature of the triptych. This desire to control his friend is fictional and symbolic because Bacon, as almost every time, worked this triple portrait from photos made by John Deakin.
Christie's does not indicate an estimate but compares the importance of this work with the triptych of the same size sold for $ 86M including premium by Sotheby's on 14 May 2008. Painted in 1976, this work is more symbolic but also less three-dimensional due to the decomposition of the body in the central picture.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
POST SALE COMMENT
The auction sale of this triptych was an important event that Christie's has successfully managed : sold for $ 142M including premium.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
Heads in small sizes often come to auction, but larger works are exceptional. On November 12 in New York, Christie's sells Three Studies of Lucian Freud, three oils on canvas painted in 1969, 198 x 148 cm for each element.
The two artists have been friends for nearly a quarter of century. Francis is in his George Dyer period and his appeal to Lucian has no reason to be erotic. Always looking for a total empathy with his entourage, Bacon pays tribute to a rival whom he admires. The seating position is gentle, but the colors and deformities of the face express the passions, in front of a strident yellow background.
Bacon locked Freud in a threadlike prism, similar to a squaring but proving his intent of the three-dimensional nature of the triptych. This desire to control his friend is fictional and symbolic because Bacon, as almost every time, worked this triple portrait from photos made by John Deakin.
Christie's does not indicate an estimate but compares the importance of this work with the triptych of the same size sold for $ 86M including premium by Sotheby's on 14 May 2008. Painted in 1976, this work is more symbolic but also less three-dimensional due to the decomposition of the body in the central picture.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's.
POST SALE COMMENT
The auction sale of this triptych was an important event that Christie's has successfully managed : sold for $ 142M including premium.
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
1976 Triptych by Francis Bacon
2008 SOLD 86 M$ including premium by Sotheby's
The low resolution image below is shared by Wikimedia for fair use :
1982 The Energy of a Skull
2017 SOLD for $ 110M including premium
The participation of Jean-Michel Basquiat in a collective exhibition in February 1981 attracted the attention of three merchants who will separately have a leading role in the start of his career : Emilio Mazzoli, Annina Nosei and Bruno Bischofberger.
It is to the honor of Annina Nosei to have convinced Jean-Michel that her basement was more appropriate than the streets of New York to let his skills explode. This close collaboration during which the artist can finally work regularly on very large canvases lasted from September 1981 to November 1982.
During that first year Jean-Michel mostly displays characters in full length, apostles of negritude whose transparency of the flesh reveals the skeleton. His perfectly mastered technique with acrylic, spray and oilstick and his fast and accurate stroke bring the expression of an activism unprecedented in art.
A new year begins, with new advances in his artistic language. On May 18 in New York, Sotheby's sells at lot 24 a painting 183 x 173 cm executed in January 1982 for the Nosei Gallery. The April 19 press release announces an estimate over $ 60M.
Like many opus by Jean-Michel, it is untitled. The theme is limited to a huge head to which bright colors and aggressive teeth provide an angry expression. By its transparency, it is a skull or perhaps a mask. Without neck or body, it floats before a blue sky that is perhaps only a gap in a tagged wall.
The monumental heads painted in 1982 are the culmination of the art of Jean-Michel. The devil's head on a canvas 239 x 500 cm painted in March in Modena for Mazzoli was sold for $ 57M including premium by Christie's on May 10, 2016. Pairs of characters also appear : Dustheads was sold for $ 49M including premium on 15 May 2013, also by Christie's.
It is to the honor of Annina Nosei to have convinced Jean-Michel that her basement was more appropriate than the streets of New York to let his skills explode. This close collaboration during which the artist can finally work regularly on very large canvases lasted from September 1981 to November 1982.
During that first year Jean-Michel mostly displays characters in full length, apostles of negritude whose transparency of the flesh reveals the skeleton. His perfectly mastered technique with acrylic, spray and oilstick and his fast and accurate stroke bring the expression of an activism unprecedented in art.
A new year begins, with new advances in his artistic language. On May 18 in New York, Sotheby's sells at lot 24 a painting 183 x 173 cm executed in January 1982 for the Nosei Gallery. The April 19 press release announces an estimate over $ 60M.
Like many opus by Jean-Michel, it is untitled. The theme is limited to a huge head to which bright colors and aggressive teeth provide an angry expression. By its transparency, it is a skull or perhaps a mask. Without neck or body, it floats before a blue sky that is perhaps only a gap in a tagged wall.
The monumental heads painted in 1982 are the culmination of the art of Jean-Michel. The devil's head on a canvas 239 x 500 cm painted in March in Modena for Mazzoli was sold for $ 57M including premium by Christie's on May 10, 2016. Pairs of characters also appear : Dustheads was sold for $ 49M including premium on 15 May 2013, also by Christie's.
1982 A Black Demon in Modena
2016 SOLD for $ 57M including premium
Jean-Michel Basquiat made two trips to Italy early in his career.
The first visit in the spring of 1981 was caused by the exhibition dedicated to him in Modena by Emilio Mazzoli. He discovered Europe and painted the very weird Field next to the other road. This mural sized canvas 221 x 401 cm tells that the basement of Annina Nosei is already not sufficient to match his grand vision. This painting was sold for $ 37M including premium by Christie's on May 13, 2015.
Jean-Michel returns to Modena in March 1982. He executes a pair of paintings on the traditional Italian theme of paradise and hell but as usual he blurs the message to exacerbate his vision of the power to the blacks. An advised art critic would later comment that Jean-Michel Basquiat had been the Jimi Hendrix of painting.
On May 10 in New York, Christie's sells the devil's figure at lot 36 B. Jean-Michel understood the visual advantage of gigantism which will be one of the essential characteristics of the art of our time : the size of the canvas is 239 x 500 cm. It is painted in acrylic without oil stick, enabling to introduce some drippings below the puddles of bright colors surrounding the horned head.
Some critics see a self-portrait in this devil. This is an excessive opinion because the lines are stylized, but indeed this threatening tribal face reflects the ambition of the young artist to become a redeemer of the world.
Jean-Michel did not need to give a title to his Demon, unlike the divine figure which he called Profit 1 by one of his usual claw blows against capitalism. The contrast is striking : here the background is dark and tagged, the round mouth is shouting a sermon that nobody will listen.
The press release of April 15 indicates that this Untitled is estimated in excess of $ 40M.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's. This masterpiece is discussed by Brett Gorvy.
The first visit in the spring of 1981 was caused by the exhibition dedicated to him in Modena by Emilio Mazzoli. He discovered Europe and painted the very weird Field next to the other road. This mural sized canvas 221 x 401 cm tells that the basement of Annina Nosei is already not sufficient to match his grand vision. This painting was sold for $ 37M including premium by Christie's on May 13, 2015.
Jean-Michel returns to Modena in March 1982. He executes a pair of paintings on the traditional Italian theme of paradise and hell but as usual he blurs the message to exacerbate his vision of the power to the blacks. An advised art critic would later comment that Jean-Michel Basquiat had been the Jimi Hendrix of painting.
On May 10 in New York, Christie's sells the devil's figure at lot 36 B. Jean-Michel understood the visual advantage of gigantism which will be one of the essential characteristics of the art of our time : the size of the canvas is 239 x 500 cm. It is painted in acrylic without oil stick, enabling to introduce some drippings below the puddles of bright colors surrounding the horned head.
Some critics see a self-portrait in this devil. This is an excessive opinion because the lines are stylized, but indeed this threatening tribal face reflects the ambition of the young artist to become a redeemer of the world.
Jean-Michel did not need to give a title to his Demon, unlike the divine figure which he called Profit 1 by one of his usual claw blows against capitalism. The contrast is striking : here the background is dark and tagged, the round mouth is shouting a sermon that nobody will listen.
The press release of April 15 indicates that this Untitled is estimated in excess of $ 40M.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's. This masterpiece is discussed by Brett Gorvy.
1984 Bacon reached by Serenity
2014 SOLD 81 M$ including premium
In 1974, after a missed visit to his London pub, John Edwards invectives Bacon. Francis enjoyed the strong personalities and was no more used of being opposed. They become friends, to the point that John is accepted in the studio while Francis is painting.
The years that followed their first meeting are still psychologically difficult for Francis, haunted by the ghost of George Dyer and by the aging of his own body. When he paints the portrait of John in 1984, the 75 years old artist is now sensitive to serenity.
His technique is a continuous reuse of formats and compositions. The large size triptych of John, 198 x 148 cm for each element, is comparable in almost all its features to the triptych of Lucian Freud, made in 1969, which was sold for $ 142M including premium by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
John sits enclosed in a threadlike cage of which we now know that it is a tribute by Bacon to Giacometti. The large empty room with the concave wall is the arena in which the artist exhibits his model. The face, which is always the subject of the greatest attention of Francis, is made expressive by his usual range of colors, from flesh to crimson.
John was not a beauty, with his strong jaw. The originality of this artwork is that the face is realistic, peaceful and confident. Francis stated that John's triptych is one of his most successful works. It certainly means that his empathy with the model was complete. John will be the sole heir of Francis and keeper of his estate.
Three Studies for a Portrait of John Edwards is for sale by Christie's in New York on May 13. The estimate beyond $ 75M was announced by the auction house during an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's to introduce this lot.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great result for the triptych, sold for $ 81M including premium.
The years that followed their first meeting are still psychologically difficult for Francis, haunted by the ghost of George Dyer and by the aging of his own body. When he paints the portrait of John in 1984, the 75 years old artist is now sensitive to serenity.
His technique is a continuous reuse of formats and compositions. The large size triptych of John, 198 x 148 cm for each element, is comparable in almost all its features to the triptych of Lucian Freud, made in 1969, which was sold for $ 142M including premium by Christie's on November 12, 2013.
John sits enclosed in a threadlike cage of which we now know that it is a tribute by Bacon to Giacometti. The large empty room with the concave wall is the arena in which the artist exhibits his model. The face, which is always the subject of the greatest attention of Francis, is made expressive by his usual range of colors, from flesh to crimson.
John was not a beauty, with his strong jaw. The originality of this artwork is that the face is realistic, peaceful and confident. Francis stated that John's triptych is one of his most successful works. It certainly means that his empathy with the model was complete. John will be the sole heir of Francis and keeper of his estate.
Three Studies for a Portrait of John Edwards is for sale by Christie's in New York on May 13. The estimate beyond $ 75M was announced by the auction house during an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's to introduce this lot.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great result for the triptych, sold for $ 81M including premium.
