Today’s Impressionist and Modern Art mid-season sale at Christie’s Rockefeller realised $3,686,500 and was 97% sold by value, 91% by lot. The final total soared way about the highest pre-sale expectations, which stood at $2.43 million.

These remarkable results included two new world auction records, and a very busy saleroom saw both trade and private bidders from Europe and the Americas battling it out for secure pictures from across all sectors of the category.

Sold: $3,686,500 £1,880,867 €2,525,000
Lots Sold: 134 Lots Offered: 148 Sold by Lot: 91% Sold by $: 97%
Exchange Rate: £ = $ 1.96 / € = $ 1.46

Lot Description Estimate ($) Purchase Price Buyer

87 Leopold Survage
Paysage du Roussillon, oil on canvas, 1926 $60,000-80,000 $205,000
£104,592
€ 140,411
$ European Trade

56 Michele Cascella
Paris, Les Tuileries, oil on canvas, 1961
WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST $25,000-30,000 $157,000
£80,102
€ 107,534 American Trade

126 Jean Dufy
Orchestre symphonique, oil on canvas, 1929 $60,000-80,000 $145,000
£73,980
€ 99,315
European Private

112 Yvonne Canu
Crépuscule sur Paris, oil on canvas
WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST $12,000-16,000 $118,600
£60,510
€ 81,233 American Private

113 Jean Dufy
Les clowns musicians, oil on canvas $35,000-45,000 $97,000
£49,490
€ 66,438 American Private

65 Yvonne Canu
La ponche à St. Tropez, oil on canvas $15,000-20,000 $91,000
£46,429
€ 62,329 American Trade

66 Yvonne Canu
Pique-nique en val de Loire, oil on canvas $8,000-12,000 $85,000
£43,367
€ 58,219 American Trade

106 Carlos Nadal
Grand collection, oil on canvas, 1992 $35,000-45,000 $85,000
£43,367
€ 58,219 Anonymous

80 Reuven Rubin
Mimosas, oil on canvas $15,000-20,000 $79,000
£40,306
€ 54,110 American Private

2 André Brasilier
La robe verte, oil on canvas, 1975/76 $12,000-16,000 $73,000
£37,245
€ 50,000 European Private

Brooke Lampley and Stefany Sekara, Specialists for the Sale, say: “We are delighted with the outstanding result of our first mid-season sale of 2008, with a remarkable 97% sold by value. Both private and trade buyers gathered in a very busy saleroom, joining Christie’s LIVE™ and phone bidders in heated competition to secure works from across all sectors of the category. We achieved exceptional results for artists such as Yvonne Canu, Michele Cascella, Jean Dufy and André Brasilier, including two new world auction records. When coupled with the overall success of the sale, these results confirm the continued strength of the international market, and we look forward to our upcoming season of New York Impressionist and Modern sales this May.”

Posted: 02|15|08 at 10:48 pm. Filed under: Press Release.