Hockney painting set to fetch $80 million at auction, breaking record for living artist

Record ID: 1356285

  • Title: Hockney painting set to fetch $80 million at auction, breaking record for living artist
  • Date: 13th September 2018
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 13, 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF 'PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST (POOL WITH TWO FIGURES)' BY BRITISH ARTIST DAVID HOCKNEY CHRISTIE'S WRITTEN ON WALL PAINTING ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTIE'S CHAIRMAN POST WAR CONTEMPORARY ART, ALEX ROTTER, SAYING: "Well the distinction is the most expensive painting by a living artist. That's what
  • Embargoed: 27th September 2018 18:58
  • Keywords: Christie's priceless art living British artist David Hockney Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / PARIS FRANCE
  • City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / PARIS FRANCE
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA0018XGOVA1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: New York auction house Christie's on Thursday (September 13) revealed what they say will be the most expensive work of art by a living artist ever sold at auction.
    The piece "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" by British artist David Hockney has been set at about $80 million for auction, but Christie's chairman of post-war and contemporary art Alex Rotter told Reuters, and he said it would only continue to appreciate from there.
    "In 10, 15, 20 years from now, we definitely - if you buy it - we definitely want it back. And I can tell you we'll sell it for more," Rotter said.
    The 1972 creation, that Christie's described as iconic and one of Hockney's greatest works, will go up for auction in November
    "It's the painting in every show that people gravitate most towards. It is this rare coincidence when the best painting of an artist is actually available because normally you say this is the best available painting of an artist," Rotter said.
    After destroying his first attempt at the painting Hockney recreated the work using photographs as a guide and painting for two weeks of 18-hour days to get it ready for an exhibit in New York, according to Christie's.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register