Christie's Auction of Post-War and Contemporary Art in London Realises $31.8 Million

Peter Doig's Night Playground achieved 2nd highest price for the artist at auction. Photo: Alberto Gonzalez/Christie's Images Ltd. 2009

LONDON.-Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction took place this evening and realised £19,063,350 / $31,778,604 / €22,513,816 selling 88% by lot and 86% by value.

Francis Outred, International Director and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe: ‘We are delighted with the results of our sales tonight which continued the trend of strong sold rates seen in the first 6 months of this year at our international auctions. This evening, an active market saw 86% of lots find buyers in a sale that achieved strong prices - in particular, the outstanding result for Peter Doig's ‘Night Playground’, which made the second highest price ever achieved for the artist at just over £3 million. What was most interesting was that 80% of works sold within or above their pre-sale estimates, and that we welcomed bids from a significant number of new collectors.’

The top price was paid for Night Playground by Peter Doig (b.1959), 1997/98, an exemplary large scale painting described by the artist as one of his own favourites. It was offered at auction for the first time and realised £3,009,250 / $5,016,420 / €3,553,924, the second highest price for the artist at auction (estimate: £1.5 million to £2 million). A particularly rare urban view, the painting shows night falling on a city playground and portrays the contrast between nature and the man-made. At this evening’s auction, 4 works of art sold for over £1 million / 11 for over $1 million, and buyers (by lot / by origin) were 65% UK and Europe, 29% Americas and 6% Asia.

Peter Doig (b. 1959) Night Playground, signed, titled twice and dated 'Peter Doig 1997/98 NIGHT PLAYGROUND' (on the reverse); titled 'Night Playground' (on the stretcher), oil on canvas, 78¾ x 108in. (200 x 274.3cm.) Painted in 1997-98. Estimate: £1,500,000-2,000,000. Sold: £3,009,250 /($5,016,420)/ €3,553,924. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

Further highlights of the sale:

· Country Nurse, 2003, by Richard Prince (b.1949), one of the largest works created for the artist’s celebrated and highly coveted Nurse series, sold for £1,721,250 / $2,869,324 / €2,032,796. For the Nurse series, Prince mined his own extensive collection of trashy romance novels from the 1950s and 1960s, lifting the protagonists and titles from their lurid covers and immersing them in layers of pigment. An exploration of female stereotypes, the series was subject to great attention in 2003 when Prince photographed Kate Moss for W magazine in front of one of his pictures while she was wearing a suggestive nurse’s outfit.

Richard Prince (B. 1949), Country Nurse, signed, titled and dated `R. Prince 2003 Country Nurse’ (on the overlap) inkjet print and acrylic on canvas 79 ½ x 52 1/4in. Executed in 2003. Estimate: £1,500,000-2,000,000. Sold: £1,721,250 / $2,869,324 / €2,032,796. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

· 1025 Farben (1025 Colours) by Gerhard Richter (b.1932) realised £1,385,250 / $2,309,212 / €1,635,980, and was offered at auction for the first time having been in the ownership of the present European owner since 1974, the year in which it was painted. From a series considered to coincide with the most fruitful period in the artist’s career, the work sold this evening is from the last and most accomplished group of colour charts which he painted.

Gerhard Richter (b. 1932), 1025 Farben (1025 Colours), signed, numbered and dated '357-1 Richter, 1974' (on the reverse), lacquer on canvas, 47¼ x 48¾in. (120 x 123.6cm) Painted in 1974. Estimate: £1,300,000-2,000,000. Sold: £1,385,250 / $2,309,212 / €1,635,980. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

· The auction offered 3 works by Jeff Koons (b. 1955) which represented three distinctive moments from the artist’s career, and all of which were offered at auction for the first time. Moustache, 2003, from the artist’s Popeye series sold this evening for £1,105,250 / $1,842,452 / €1,305,300. Flowers, 1986, from the artist’s Statuary series which also included his masterpiece, Rabbit, sold for £337,250 / $562,196 / €398,292; and Walrus (Blue), executed in 1999, sold for £361,250 / $602,204 / €426,636.

Jeff Koons (b. 1955) Moustache, polychromed aluminium, wrought iron, coated steel chain, height variable x 75½ x 21in. (191.8 x 53.3cm.) Executed in 2003, this work is from an edition of three plus one artist proof.  Estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000. Sold: £1,105,250 / $1,842,452 / €1,305,300. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

· Untitled, by Cy Twombly (b.1928) realised £802,850 / $1,338,351 / €948,166, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £500,000 to £700,000. This important work was executed in 1961, a watershed year in the artist’s career during which he created a number of masterpieces including the Ferragosto series which was recently united in an exhibition dedicated to the artist at Tate Modern last year.

Cy Twombly (b. 1928) Untitled, signed, inscribed and dated 'Cy Twombly, Milano, 1961' (lower right) oil, lead pencil and wax crayon on canvas, 15¾ x 19¾in. (40 x 50cm.) Executed in 1961. Estimate: £500,000-700,000. Sold: £802,850 / $1,338,351 / €948,166. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

· Rosso Gilera 60 1232 Rosso Guzzi 60 1305 by Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) sold for £713,250 / $1,188,988 / €842,348 against a pre-sale estimate of £280,000 to £350,000 setting a record price for the artist at auction. Further artist records were established by Transiente by Julie Mehretu (b.1970) which realized £229,250 / $382,160 / €270,744; and Golden Independent Heart, 2004, a 4.5 metre tall, rotating heart made of plastic cutlery by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos (b.1971) whose work has never before been offered at an international auction and which sold for £163,250 / $272,138 / €192,798 (estimate: £80,000 to £120,000).

Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) Rosso Gilera 60 1232, Rosso Guzzi 60 1305.K industrial paint on metal, in two parts, each: 39 3/8 x 39 3/8in. (100 x 100cm.) Executed in 1967. Estimate: £280,000 - £350,000 . Sold: £713,250 / $1,188,988 / €842,348 . Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

Julie Mehretu (b. 1970) Transients, acrylic, ink and gesso on canvas, 48½ x 60½in. (123.2 x 153.7cm.) Executed in 2006.  Estimate: £200,000 - £300,000 . Sold: £229,250 / $382,160 / €270,744. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.

Joana Vasconcelos (b. 1971) Golden Independent Heart, translucent yellow plastic cutlery, painted iron, motor, metallic chain and accompanying CD, 151 5/8 x 88 5/8 x 19¾in. (385 x 225 x 50cm.) Executed in 2004. Music interpreted by Amália Rodrigues: Estranha Forma de Vida (Alfredo Rodrigo Duarte Amália Rodrigues), Maldição (Joaquim Campos da Silva Armando Vieira Pinto), Gaivota (Alain Oulman Alexandre ONeill), Authorized by IPLAY Som e Imagem, Lda, (P) Valentim de Carvalho, SA . Estimate: £80,000 - £120,000. Sold: £163,250 / $272,138 / €192,798 . Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2009.