Christie’s Paris Avant-Garde auction made €38,6M/£34,4M/$45,6M. Christie’s France’s President, François de Ricqlès, held the hammer in a packed room selling 27 lots to international buyers from 12 countries:
- The highly-expected Grande Femme II by Alberto Giacometti achieved an impressive €24,907,500/£22,167,675/$29,390,850, becoming the most expensive work of art sold in France in 2017. This sculpture was first conceived by Giacometti in 1960 when he was asked to realise a project for the Chase Manhattan Bank’s public plaza in New York.
- The first edition of Facile by Paul Eluard and Man Ray was sold for €823,500 to Jean-Baptiste Proyard bidding in the room on behalf of a private client, establishing a new auction record for any 20th century French editioned book. A world auction record was achieved for Claude Cahun’s photograph that sold for €223,500 against a pre-sale estimate of €100,000-150,000.
- Jean Dubuffet 1964 Hourloupe series work, which was acquired by international collector Mr. Samir Traboulsi for €1,927,500.
- Through the Dusk (Homage to the square) by Josef Albers which sold for €631,500, three times its presale estimate
- mobile sculpture by Alexander Calder from the personal collection of Tal Coat was sold for €1,327,500.
- Sonia Delaunay’s oil on canvas created in 1913 and originally from the Bing gallery which was sold for €1,567,500”
