UNITED STATES: VAN GOGH PAINTING FETCHES RECORD PRICE OF 49 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS.

Record ID: 337472

  • Title: UNITED STATES: VAN GOGH PAINTING FETCHES RECORD PRICE OF 49 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS.
  • Date: 12th November 1987
  • Summary: 1. SV EXTERIOR Sotheby's sign. 0.05 2. GVs Audience waiting for auction to begin. (3 SHOTS) (MUTE) 0.21 3. SV Actor Jack Nicholson at auction. (MUTE) 0.25 4. SVs & CU Bidding brought to a close and painting. (4 SHOTS) 1.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th November 1987 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2GEZJX3R3WPX4KKX0Y108X2HG
  • Story Text: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

    A painting by Vincent van Gogh was sold in a New York auction room on November 11 for a record 49 million US dollars, making it the most expensive piece of art ever. The painting, 'Irises', was painted towards the end of van Gogh's life in 1889 when he was in a mental asylum. It was bought over the telephone by a European agent for an undisclosed collector. Gasps were heard in the auction room as the price rapidly rose from the 15 million dollar starting price for the Dutch painter's oil until the dealer's hammer came down at 49 million dollars. With the 10 per cent buyer's premium, a commission paid to the auction house, the total price was 53.9 million dollars. The boldly coloured large canvas depicts irises in contrasting tones of vivid purple, blue and leaf green. Among the onlookers at the auction was the United States film star Jack Nicholson.

    <strong>Source: REUTERS NEW YORK</strong>
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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