Lovers in vogue: Modigliani’s portrait sold for over $42 million

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Published time: February 07, 2013 09:18
Edited time: February 07, 2013 13:18

million The day after Picasso’s portrait of his young lover Marie-Thérèse went under the hammer for $45 million, a portrait by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani of his lover Jeanne Hebuterne has fetched $42.3 million at a Christie’s auction in London.

­The final price for the sensual 1919 portrait “Jeanne Hebuterne wearing a hat” ended up well over the pre-sale estimate of between £16 million and £22 million.

The head of the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale, Jay Vincze, said Christie’s were “very pleased with the strength and depth of bidding” which drove the auction to achieve the “highest total for a February evening sale” in London.

The auction drew interest and bidding from across the world. According to Vincze, five new record prices have been achieved, including for a Berthe Morisot portrait which set an auction record for a work by a female artist sold at auction.”

Morisot’s “Après le déjeuner”, described as a “historic painting” and considered by many of her contemporaries to be 'l'impressioniste par excellence' sold for over $10 million, four times the estimate.

A record price was also paid for Renè Magritte’s sculpture, La folie des grandeurs (Megalomania) sold for $2.7 million, and paintings by such artists as Alberto Magnelli, Kay Sage and Óscar Domínguez.

In total, 32 works of art sold for over £1 million and 42 for over $1 million.