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Modigliani Nude Shatters European Art Auction Record
26 Jun
Summary
- Modigliani nude portrait sold for $63.9 million, a European record.
- Joe Lewis's art collection grossed $392.6 million at auction.
- Lucian Freud's nude painting fetched nearly $39 million.
The first part of a major London art auction, featuring works from Joe Lewis's private collection, generated $392.6 million. The event was highlighted by the sale of Amedeo Modigliani's "Nu assis au collier" (Seated Nude Wearing a Necklace) for $63.9 million, establishing a new auction record for a work by the artist in Europe.
The collection, amassed by the 89-year-old ex-owner of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, included 48 works by renowned artists. Gustav Klimt's "Bildnis Gertrud Loew" achieved the second-highest price of the evening, selling for $47.9 million to an Asian private collector.
Further bolstering the auction's success, Lucian Freud's "Sleeping by the Lion Carpet," a nude depiction of his muse Sue Tilley, sold for $38.8 million. This painting, completed in 1996, had been part of the Lewis Collection since its acquisition. Works by Picasso, Magritte, and Egon Schiele are also featured in the ongoing sale.
