The Results are In

…but I don’t mean the elections. There were so many astonishing results in the NY auctions this week.  For the sake of brevity (and diplomacy), I’ll limit my comments to the two paintings I previewed (below) as well as one particular drawing.  Let’s start with the drawing, by far the most riveting result.  Le Viol (The Rape, 1940), pen, brush and ink on paper, 38 x 46 cm, was estimated at $4-6M but fetched $13,522,500.  This result speaks for itself, though I’m not exactly sure what it says.  Except that it breaks the world’s record by a mile for a black-and-white work on paper by Picasso.  It also comes in at the heels of the third priciest Picasso work on paper […]

The Results are In Read More »

In the Eye of the Storm

  My hats off to the Yanks!  You are truly irrepressible!  These have been the toughest days any region of the country has faced since NY was hit by 9/11 and New Orleans and vicinity by Katrina.  As a result, the NY Stock Exchange was closed for two days this week, but it took but one day for the art market to resume in full force, at least uptown where the floodwaters were not as severe.  Auctions this week went on as scheduled or were delayed by no more than a day.  Downtown, where the depredations of the storm were more severe, repairs are already underway.  It is truly amazing how quickly you jumped back and resumed business as usual.

In the Eye of the Storm Read More »