Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Sales Week in New York opened on Tuesday. The most coveted piece of the evening was Picasso’s “Femmes Lisant (Deux Personnages)”, depicting the artist’s teenager mistress, Marie-Therese Walter and her sister. Last on the market in 1981, the 1934 canvas was now sold for a whopping $19 million (or $21.3 million if you add Sotheby’s fees).
This however wasn’t the only Picasso to have stirred a bidding war. Three paintings from the Collection of Dodie Rosekrans all exceeded the pre-sale estimates: “Couple à la guitare” fetched $9,602,500, “Femme” went for $7,922,500 and “Fillette aux nattes et au chapeau vert” sold for $5,906,500.
Other expensive sales include a rare wooden bust by Paul Gauguin, called “Jeune tahitienne” ($11.2 million) and a Paul Delvaux painting, called “Les Cariatides” ($9 million). They were both record breakers and it’s no surprise that Sotheby’s declared itself very pleased with the sale.
