The “Paulette” Modigliani reaches 42 million dollars in New York – Terra Argentina

The work of Amedeo Modigliani “Paulette Jourdain” (1919), which reached the final price of 42 million, was the star of the first auction of Sotheby’s in New York the legacy of American collector Alfred Taubman.

portrait and colorful cubist inspiration, showing the maid and lover of his dealer Léopold Zborowski, he is considered “twinned” with the “Mona Lisa” given the charisma of both women staring and with a disturbing smile.

The “Paulette” Modigliani was one of the favorite works of Taubman, great lover portrait, died last spring at age 90, and former owner of Sotheby’s itself.

Although this work got surpass estimates prior to the session, the first auction of the fall season of the house did not meet some expectations bids pieces by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Joan Miró or Edgar Degas.

So, the “Femme assise sur une chaise” (1938) by Picasso, completed a year after the Guernica, and in which the Malaga portrait of his lover Dora Maar, was sold less than expected : $ 20 million (the minimum estimate was 25 million).

The work went to the private family collection of designer Gianni Versace, according to Sotheby’s.

In the case of “La porte (Objet)” by Joan Miró (1931), one of the most iconoclastic works by the artist, came to $ 11.7 million hammer price when estimated It was between 15 and 20 million.

Also, “Danseuses en blanc” (1878) by Edgar Degas did not reach the expected 18 million and stood at $ 15 million.

legacy of French artist fared better with the work of “Portrait of Zacharie” (1886), which slightly exceeded the estimated $ 4.2 million price.

expectations for “Jardin public à Arles” (1888) by Vincent van Gogh, which stood at 1.3 million after being estimated at least 1.8 million was also deflated.

The two works at auction of Latvian descent American painter Mark Rothko, “Orange on wine” and “Lavender and green” (1950), departing equally outstanding between batches, did not reach the estimated and They were paid by them to hammer price 18 and 15 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, the play “Man with arm raised” (1960), one of the most mature of Francis Bacon, earned $ 9 million, a price within expectations experts for this picture that would show the image of a fellow artist.

The charge of the auction, Oliver Barker said before logging one of the penalties of Taubman before he died was to know that would not be present in sales of his legacy, so in tribute was reserved an empty chair in the room.

This Thursday will bid for his legacy collector of works by impressionist and modern art painting key blue period Picasso, “The Gommeuse” with an estimated price of $ 60 million, and as “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet, which could reach 50 million.