In May, we shared some world sweeping,breaking art newswith you. As the auction hammer fell this past spring auction records were shattered when the famousartwork, Scream, by Edvard Munch was sold for $119,922,500. The mystery buyer has finally been revealed as NY financier Leon Black.
“The Scream” by Edvard Munch. The 1895 pastel on board, arguably one of the art world’s most recognizable images, will go on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York beginning Oct. 24, 2012. UNCREDITED / SOTHEBY’S AUCTION HOUSE
Munch created four versions of Scream. Three of the four are in Norway, and the fourth is shortly to be on display at the MoMA(Museum of Modern Art) in NYC. The fourth (Black’s) version is considered the most colorful of all, with a special frame hand-painted by the artist.
Starting in October 24th, Mr. Black will loan his prized Munch’s 1895 version of Scream from his private collection to the MoMA for a public exhibition. Following a short 5-day stint on exhibition in London, New Yorkers lucked out with this six month show that concludes on April 29th, 2013.
Guards protect Scream at Sotheby’s Museum in London
Because of its exclusivity and known price tag, the security in the museum will be very strict. A desirable object for thieves, Norway has recorded two burglaries of the Scream. In 1994, and again in 2004, the 1893 version of Scream was stolen but later found and recovered. Visitors will be checked and scanned to insure the treasure’s security.
The museum’s protection of this painting is sure to be a sight, but the security isn’t the main attraction, Scream is! Don’t miss the opportunity to visit MoMA to get as close as security will allow to the most expensive artwork ever sold.
“The Scream”, one of the iconic paintings of a bald figure howling, hands covering ears, sold last night for a record-breaking $119,922,500. Edward Munch’s melancholic masterpiece made auction house Sotheby’s much happier last night, setting a new record for the most expensive piece sold at auction, ever.
The sale screamed “profit” to the seller, as painting soared past the auction house’s pre-auction estimate of $80 million dollars at the conclusion of a 15-minute bidding war.
Sotheby's sale of Munch's "The Scream" (Image from Reuters)
Purchased by an anonymous buyer, the painting is one of four works created by the artist with the same composition. The version sold last night is considered by experts to be the “best” of the four.
Edvard Munch's The Scream - image from Reuters
Mark Winter, director of Munch Experts, told the Guardian, “It is the crown jewel of the four but you really need a national budget to buy it. And not the budget of a small country, either.”
Tobias Meyer, the Sotheby’s auctioneer, told Reutersthe bidder got a good deal. “It’s worth every penny that the collector paid.”
The painting includes a frame hand-painted by the artist with a poem about the painting’s inspiration: He was “shivering with anxiety” and feeling “the great scream in nature.”
- Jen Wallace
posted by JenWallace in Auction,news,Sale and have Comments Off
Artists for Haiti, a collaboration between the Stiller Foundation, David Zwirner gallery, and Christies, recently raised over $13 million for education and health programs in the troubled Caribbean country. The bare square first reported on Artists For Haiti on August 10th andAugust 30th.
With top contemporary artists like Louise Bourgeois, Chris Ofili, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Koons, Chuck Close, Jasper Johns, and Zhang Huan…raise funds they did! Throw a few celebrities into the mix and, you have $13,662,000 in relief funds for Haiti. All night, competitive bidders went blazing past artwork estimates.
Director, actor and producer Justin Theroux, accompanied by superstar girlfriend Jennifer Aniston, bought Glenn Ligon’s “Stranger #44″ for a record $450,000 (estimated to sell for $150,000-200,000). Aniston applauded her man’s winning bid which was, of course, for her collection.
Check out this fun video update on Theroux & Aniston’s win from celebrity gossip experts, PopSugar:
Tennis star John McEnroe and Acquavella Gallery got into a bidding war for Zhang Huan’s “Chinese Flag No.1. McEnroe backed down when bidding reached $200,000 and Acquavella Gallery won the piece. Jon McEnroe wanted to walk out a winner, so he snagged Elizabeth Peyton’s colored pencil and pastel portrait of “Jay-Z, Glastonbury” for $85,000 (above the estimated $60,000-70,000.)
(L to R) John McEnroe, President Bill Clinton, a guest, Susan Sarandon and others at the Artists for Haiti dinner to benefit the Stiller Foundation at Almond in New York City. Photo from the-slice.com.
The biggest ticket item of the evening was Marlene Dumas’ autobiographical portrait, “My mother before she became my mother” (2010), a painting made shortly after her mother’s death. A lucky telephone bidder won the lot for $2 million (est. $600,000-800,000).
Having set a record for a charity auction at Christies, the action-packed event and jam-packed room ended the night with roaring applause for a wildly successful night of art fundraising for a good cause.
Next Tuesday opens a preview exhibition of major works donated to the Artists for Haiti Auction at David Zwirner Gallery.
The auction includes work donated by twenty-five significant artists. Jeff Koons, Chuck Close, Louise Bourgeois, Dan Flavin, Jasper Johns are just a few names off of this star studded list of artists.
The full collection of works available for auction will be on view at Christie’s from September 17-20th and the auction will be held on Thursday September 22nd at 7pm.
It’s wonderful that art dealer David Zwirner and actor Ben Stiller conceived an event that is sure to have a positive impact on Haiti. With the support of President Bill Clinton and a list of all-star artists this auction is sure to make a splash.
The Bare Square team plans to head to David Zwirner Gallery on Tuesday to be one of the first to preview these works. You can be one of the first too…head to David Zwirner on Tuesday. The preview exhibition is only up for 4 days…then it moves to Christie’s.
David Zwirner
525 West 19th Street
New York, NY
Preview Exhibition Tue 9/6, 6-8pm
Make sure to check out Kulsoom’s article about Artists for Haiti for more detials, images, and a really cool/funny video with Ben Stiller & President Bill Clinton.
Check back at The Bare Square on Tuesday when I’ll be recommending another awesome opening for next Thursday 9/8!
“Artists for Haiti”, a charity auction, will raise funds for education and health programs in Haiti by selling artworks by famous artists at Christie’s New York auction house. President Bill Clinton, American actor Ben Stiller, and gallerist David Zwirner host the star-studded Haiti benefit Sept. 22 and 23 at Christies and Skylight Soho in New York.
The charity art auction will benefit The Stiller Foundation, launched by the actor in January 2010, the same month as Haiti’s devastating earthquake. The foundation’s mission, displayed on its website, is to provide educational opportunities and promote the well-being of children around the world.
According to a report by the United Nations, as many as 8,000 schools which held 1.8 million children were destroyed or damaged in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince alone. Stiller’s humanitarian efforts in Haiti began in 2009. In the wake of the earthquake, Stiller created the Haitian School Initiative as part of the work of the foundation.
For the auction, attendees will bid on donated artworks by renown contemporary artists like Louise Bourgeois, Chris Ofili, Ed Ruscha and Jeff Koons, Chuck Close, Jasper Johns, and Zhang Huan.
Check out the Artists for Haiti website to see the full list of artists donating to the art auction.In early September, Zwirner’s gallery will preview the art up for auction. (Readers may remember the Zwirner Gallery from “Jen Recommends” March coverage of Marcel Dzama’s show there.)
Here’s a preview of some of the work from the auction:
No Title (But the sand…), Richard Pettibon, 2011
“monument” for V. Tatlin, Dan Flavin, 1967
mappemonde, Adel Abdessemed, 2011
Both Stiller and Zwirner will join President Clinton the day after the auction to co-host a gala at Skylight Solo in New York, celebrating the auction results and the artists’ generosity. Like Stiller, Clinton has been involved in the Haiti effort since the launching of the Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund in 2010.To support The Stiller Foundation, text STILLER to 85944 to give $5 to help build schools in Haiti or buy one of the foundation’s cool headbands!
Stiller talks about the idea for the headbands in this video–check it out!
