Amedeo Modigliani, Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) (1917)
At Sotheby’s, the top lot of the night (May 14, 2018) —and one of the most buzzed-about this season—was Amedeo Modigliani‘s large nude Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) (1917), which carried a $150 million estimate, the most expensive ever placed on a single work at auction. It also had an irrevocable, or third-party, bid placed in advance. The work sold for a premium-inclusive price of $157 million after sparse bidding.
“Modigliani has now joined the ultimate club within the art market at $150 million,” he said at a post-sale press conference. “He’s the only artist who has broken that ceiling twice.”
To Read more: Led by a $157 Million Modigliani, Sotheby’s Otherwise Tepid Impressionist Sale Makes $318 Million
The Modigliani canvas is part of a prized series of nude paintings, produced between 1916 and 1919, that caused a scandal when they were first shown in Paris. When exhibited in Berthe Weill’s gallery for what would be the only one-man exhibition that Modigliani during his lifetime, a sizable crowd outside raised the curiosity of the police, who shut down the show after two days. (Only two drawings sold.)
Worth the view; Some of Modigliani’s Most Seductive Portraits Were Once Censored by Police—See Them Here https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/modigliani-tate-london-1232252
Destined to be an all time classic, Diego Voci’s; $20,000 REWARD for the “Nude in Yellow” Watch! https://youtu.be/EA5aZ88bCM4
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