Paris (AFP)
Claude Monet but also the American Jeff Koons with his famous steel rabbit, the most expensive work of a living artist, are at the top of the ten auction records of the first semester of 2019, where we observe a trend for French post-impressionists.
Claude Monet (1840-1926), a painter of the happy light, extremely popular worldwide, posthumously snatched the jackpot with his 1890 "Les Grottes" painting, sold for $ 110 million in May (including fees) at Sotheby's in New York.
The controversial and provocative sculptor Jeff Koons succeeded at Christie's a nice operation, his "Rabbit" winning 91 million dollars, while Robert Rauschenberg sold in the same auction house his "Buffalo II", mythical picture where is represented John Fitzgerald Kennedy, for the tidy sum of $ 88 million.
The French sculptor Louise Bourgeois, naturalized American and died in 2010, had her famous "spider" (spider) of 1997 for 32 million dollars, also at Christie's in New York. She realized the second best auction of all time for a woman artist.
A painting by the American painter Franck Stella, "Point of Pines" of 1959, was sold for $ 28 million at Christie's.
The Frenchmen Paul Signac (1863-1935) with his "Port au soleil couchant", Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) with "Chemin montée", and Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) with "A terrace in Grasse" saw their works to reach $ 25.9, $ 22 and $ 19.5 million respectively in Christie's auctions in London and New York.
A painting by Balthus, "Thérèse on a bench", was sold for $ 19 million at Christie's in New York.
Finally at Sotheby's in Hong Kong, the icon of New York graffiti Kaws (Brian Donnelly) saw his work "The Kaws Album" of 2005 be awarded 14.7 million euros.
© 2019 AFP