Femme nue couchée, a 1932 cubist masterpiece by Pablo Picasso featuring Marie-Ther̀èse Walter as the subject, commanded a dazzling 67.54 million dollars at Sotheby’s modern art sale in New York. This nude image stood out as the afternoon’s top lot among more than fifty works offered, eclipsing other Picasso canvases such as L’Étreinte, which fetched 14.11 million; Mousquetaire à la pipe, buste at 8.48 million; and Homme et femme nue at 5.13 million. The record-setting result underscored Picasso’s lasting magnetism in the market and the robust demand for canonical cubist works from the early 20th century.
Following Picasso, the spotlight shifted to Claude Monet, the veteran French Impressionist. Monet’s Venetian scene Le Grand Canal et Santa Maria della Salute moved the needle at 56.62 million, reinforcing Monet’s enduring draw in today’s auction climate. Another Monet highlight, Les Arceaux de roses, Giverny, captured 23.30 million, featuring a lush water reflection of a blooming garden—a motif that resonates with collectors seeking serene, nature-inspired imagery. The sale also showcased Monet’s Green Landscape Clairière, a piece that captured the subtleties of light and atmosphere in a way that continues to speak to modern connoisseurs.
Turning to Paul Cézanne, a major figure in bridging impressionism and modernism, one of his canvases from the 1980s era reached notable levels, with a best estimate value suggesting a strong market presence at 41.68 million. While Cézanne’s works dominated conversations, Philip Guston’s abstract Nile drew attention as well, achieving 18 million, and Willem de Kooning’s Leaves in Weehawken offered a powerful example of postwar abstraction at 10.09 million. These results illustrate the diversity of the auction catalog and the broad appeal of modern and contemporary movements among global collectors.
Some lots exceeded even the highest expectations. Robert Motherwell’s Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 59 demonstrated a dramatic upside, surpassing the optimistic forecast by doubling to reach 1.19 million. Leonora Carrington’s The Garden of Paracelsus set a new benchmark for the artist with a final price around 3.26 million. Alberto Giacometti’s Femme de Venise II commanded 17.56 million, representing the continued appetite for sculptural works by the Swiss master. Picasso’s Femme debut drew 2.11 million, while an anonymous piece by Alexander Calder, often referred to for his mobile or kinetic studies, realized 4.53 million, further signaling the strength across the portfolio of modern and contemporary sculpture in today’s market mix.
Other notable portraits and studies included Tamara de Lempicka’s portrait of a woman and Kees van Dongen’s nude figure, alongside Calder’s second cell phone work—each contributing to the sale’s varied and compelling narrative. The auction house itself delivered an exceptionally strong afternoon, continuing the momentum from a recent private collection sale that had closed the previous Monday at a record level for the Macklowe estate. Overall, the event tallied just over 400 million dollars in a single afternoon, underscoring the strength of modern and contemporary art demand among international buyers. As the house plans another substantial sale this Thursday, collectors and enthusiasts will be watching closely for further indications of liquidity and taste across the spectrum of 20th-century masters and newer contemporary voices. The emphasis remained clear: iconic masterpieces, bold experiments, and comfort with prestigious names continue to drive competitive bidding and strong realized prices in New York’s premier auction rooms, according to market observers and participants who attended the session. The results reinforce confidence in the current cycle and signal ongoing opportunities for buyers seeking historically significant pieces as well as fresh discoveries that resonate with today’s audiences.