Sotheby's Evening Auction realizes £75.8 million

KOLKATA: On June 26th night, the opportunity to acquire landmark works for their collections drew bidders from 38 countries to compete at Sotheby's London. The Contemporary Art Evening Auction realized £75.8 million, with an average lot value of £1.43 million - one of the highest figures for this category in London.

Leading the sale were two works by Francis Bacon. The 1966 triptych portrait of his friend, muse and lover Isabel Rawsthorne sold for £11,282,500, while the first work the artist ever sold, his historic Head III was battled for by six collectors, driving the price to £10,442,500 (estimate £5-7 million). Fifty-four years ago, just across the road from Sotheby's at the Hanover Gallery in St. George Street, the same work fetched £150 at Bacon's first ever commercial show.

Alex Branczik, head of Sotheby's London Contemporary Art department commented in an email statement: "Tonight's sale was all about the quest for quality - quality across categories - from the modern masters to the new generation of artists. We offered some great historic works of art and achieved some great prices for them, as buyers went down the connoisseurial route, buying with intelligence and passion. Participation was truly global, making it a strong night for British art, photography, European abstract works and German artists."