New Records Set at Christie’s, Paris

Christie’s, Paris began its three day sale of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge on Monday with record-setting prices and a total of $266 million worth of fine art sold on the first day alone.  Mondays’ 59 lot sale of Impressionist & Modern Art consisted of works by artists such as Henri Matisee ($46.4 million), Marcel Duchamp ($11.5 million), Fernand Leger ($7.18 million and $14.8 million),  Constantin Brancusi ($37.7 million) and Piet Mondrian ($27.9 million and $18.6 million).  There were seven worlds records set at this sale which is being touted as the most valuable private collection sold at auction.   The six-part auction takes place at the Grand Palais in Paris and includes categories such as Silver, 20th Century Decorative Arts, Asian Art and Ceramics, and Sculptures and Works of Art.  The New York Times reported today that the winning bidder of the record-setting Matisse painting is American though Christie’s refused to identify that bidder.

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