A chart French Henri Rousseau’s ‘Les flamants’ (flamingos) broke the record this Thursday. When it was sold for $43.5 million at the Christie’s auction, the artist’s first of the spring season in New York.
started as a favorite Picasso’s painting ‘Nature morte à la fenêtre’ was sold for 41.81 million.At just over 40 million originally calculated for him, and amid the debate over whether the Spanish artist’s price is starting to fall, he’s been leading sales for several years with a seemingly endless repertoire.
Rousseau’s canvas (1844-1910), painted in 1907, began with an estimate of between 20 and 30 million, so its final price may come as a surprise, as the author’s record is under 5 million. It represents a lake with some giant water lilies and a few flamingos in the foreground; In the background are small silhouettes of people who look like fishermen. Nicknamed ‘The Customs Officer’ for making his living as a tax collector, Rousseau did not gain fame until his death, and his most recurring nature and forest scenes were framed in the post-impressionist naive style.
In addition to Rousseau and Picasso, other valuable works sold at auction today include a Francis Bacon self-portrait (34.6 million) and Willem de Kooning’s ‘Orestes’ canvas (30.8 million).
Today’s auction, dedicated to 20th century art, is complete with works by Renoir, Degas, Hockney and Lalanne, among others. At the end of the session, Christie’s explained today’s sales totaled $329 million.