Comunicato di Christie’s, 24 febbraio 2009
YVES SAINT LAURENT
& PIERRE BERG COLLECTION OF IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART REALISES
206 MILLION /£183 MILLION / $266 MILLION
WORLD RECORD FOR THE MOST VALUABLE PRIVATE COLLECTION SOLD AT AUCTION
RECORD FOR MOST VALUABLE AUCTION IN EUROPE
Paris – At tonight’s inaugural session of the sale of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, offered by Christie’s in association with Pierre Bergé & Associates auctioneers, one of the most significant collections of Impressionist and Modern art in private hands today fell under the hammer under the glass domed roof of the Grand Palais. In the presence of over 1200 collectors from all over the world, 59 works of Impressionist and Modern Art sold for a total of 206 million / £183 million / $266 million, a world record for a private collection at auction and a record for the most valuable auction in Europe. The top lot of the evening was Les coucous, tapis bleu et rose, 1911 by Henri Matisse, which sold for 35.9 million / £31.9 million / $46.4 million, the highest price ever achieved for a work by the artist at auction, and 8 works of art sold for over 5 million. 25 works of art sold for over 1 million (24 lots for over £1 million / 25 lots over $1 million). Buyer activity at the auction (by lot / by origin) was 70% Europe and 30% Americas and 7 world records were set for artists at auction, including Matisse, Brancusi, Mondrian, De Chirico, Duchamp, Klee and Ensor.
Thomas Seydoux, International Head of Impressionist and Modern Art said: ”This record sale, which achieved the highest total for any auction in Europe, and the most valuable private collection ever sold at auction in the world, was a tribute to two great men: Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent. Collectors, gathered in the largest saleroom that Christie’s has ever seated, responded to the opportunity of a lifetime to buy into a Collection carefully assembled over almost five decades. There was significant bidding on the telephone from a deep pool of international buyers and many rare and exceptional works, each with impeccable provenance and condition, set world record prices for artists at auction. This historical sale demonstrated the timeless appeal of Impressionist and Modern art, this long-established and highly valued category.”
Please find attached post-sale press release and Top Ten.