Christie’s Latin American sale made $22.7m with a number of auction records for Cuban artists due to the presence of a single owner sale of Cuban art, as Christie’s explains:
Strong results were realized for the single-owner collection of Cuban works totaling $3,264,000 with 16 works sold. Six artist records were achieved, led by Mariano Rodriguez’s Pelea de gallos, which sold for $1,087,500, and many works exceeded initial estimates, such as Carlos Enríquez’s Héroe criollo, which realized $967,500, more than doubling the low estimate of $400,000.
Virgilio Garza, Head of Latin American Art, remarked: “Strong results were realized for the single-owner collection of Cuban works with active bidding resulting in many lots more than doubling initial estimates. This sale represents a comeback for modern Cuban painting, setting six new artist records that were established decades ago. There was a range of prices realized showing a broad interest in the category from new buyers to established collectors. We were very pleased to see impressive prices achieved across the exceptional private collections, as seen with Rufino Tamayo’s Sandías from the Lewin Family Collection, which exceeded the high-estimate and was the sale’s top lot.”
