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Jeff Koons,
Hanging Heart (Magenta/Gold) At Sotheby's Nov. 14 sale, dealer Larry Gagosian, who represents Koons, bid this huge stainless steel sculpture up to $21 million (not including commission), setting a price record for a living artist at auction. Sold by real estate investor Adam Lindemann, it was estimated at $15 million to $20 million.
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Francis Bacon,
Second Version of Study for Bullfight No. 1 (1969) Sold by Germany's Langen Foundation, this piece was the most expensive work sold this season in New York. On Nov. 14 at Sotheby's, it went for $45.9 million to art dealer Philippe Segalot, against an estimate of upwards of $30 million.
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Andy Warhol,
Liz Hugh Grant bought this 1963 portrait of Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol six years ago for $3.6 million. Christie's had it estimated at $25 million to $35 million at its Nov. 13 sale. It sold for $21 million, with Christie's commission bringing it to $23.5 million. The auction house says Grant is pouring some of the money back into works by younger artists.
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Gerhard Richter,
Jet Fighter Several bidders chased his giant painting from 1963, but its record price of $11.2 million was still just a bit above its $10 million low estimate. It sold at Christie's on Nov. 13.
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Jeff Koons,
Diamond (Blue) New York art dealer Larry Gagosian was the winner for this gleaming giant steel gem, which sold for $11.8 million at Christie's. The price set a record for the artist, more than doubling his previous record, but it had been expected to rise as high as $20 million. Still, a new standard was set for Koons the next day.
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Mark Rothko,
Untitled (Red, Blue, Orange) The top seller at Christie’s was a large abstract, which brought $34.2 million against an estimate of $25 million to $30 million at Christie's. Christie’s had marketed the painting aggressively to Russian collectors, as Rothko was born in Belarus.
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Vincent van Gogh,
The Fields (Wheat Fields) The painting hung over the artist's bed at the time of his death and came with a presale estimate of $28 million to $35 million. It went unsold at Sotheby's on Nov. 7, but C.E.O. Bill Ruprecht says that, as the company had guaranteed it, he’s happy to have it.
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Pablo Picasso,
La Lampe Offered up by the artist’s family at a hoped-for $20 million, this portrait also failed to sell at Sotheby's.
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Paul Gauguin,
Te Poipoi The top purchase of Sotheby's Nov. 7 auction went to Hong Kong real estate investor Joseph Lau, who paid $39.2 million for this Tahitian scene. The low estimate was $40 million.
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Amedeo Modigliani,
Portrait du sculpteur Oscar Miestchaninoff This painting of a Russian sculptor sold for $30.8 million against a high estimate of $25 million at Christie's on Nov. 6.