Fernando Botero's "Horse"

Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero's "Horse" (edition 2 of 3) was on display briefly outside Christie's at 20 Rockefeller Plaza prior to its auction last fall. This bronze piece with dark brown patina was signed and numbered "Botero 2/3" and stamped with foundry mark on the base.

TULIPS by Jeff Koons in Full Bloom Outside Christie's at Rockefeller Center

Tulips (1995-2004), a shiny and colorful sculpture by Jeff Koons has been installed in a black pool outside Christie’s at Rockefeller Center. The sculpture is a bouquet of seven tulips of different colors fabricated from mirror-polished stainless steel in an edition of five. This is part of Mr. Koons’ “Celebration” series. This beautiful piece is expected to sell between $20 million and $30 million at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on November 14. 

Fernando Botero's "Reclining Nude" On View Outside Christie's New York

Fernando Botero's "Reclining Nude" is covered with raindrops as it sits on display outside Christie's at 20 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan. The Colombian artist's bronze with dark brown patina sculpture is signed, numbered and stamped with foundry mark "Botero, 3/3' on the base. Its dimensions are 55 x 137 5/8 x 56 5/8 inches. It is part of the Latin American Sale, Evening Session to be held this evening at 6:30 P.M. The images were taken yesterday.

"Brushstroke Nude" by Roy Lichtenstein

This piece of sculpture called "Brushstroke Nude" (1993) by Roy Lichtenstein was briefly on display outside the Phillips du Pury and Company on Park Avenue before it was auctioned last Wednesday. The painted cast aluminum (144 1/2 x 42 x 30 in. or 367 x 106.7 x 76.2 cm) is number one from an edition of three. It sold for $5,458,500 according to the Phillips du Pury and Company website.

Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” Sold for a Record $119.9 Million at Sotheby's

"The Scream" poster outside Sotheby's

Edvard Munch’s famed 1895 painting called “The Scream” was auctioned for $120 million at Sotheby's last night, becoming the world’s most expensive artwork ever to sell at auction. The work, a pastel on board, is one of four versions created by Edvard Munch; the other three are part of collections in Norwegian museums. This version of "The Scream" is considered to be the most vibrant. It was sold by Petter Olsen, a Norwegian businessman and shipping heir whose father was a friend, neighbor and patron of the artist. The unknown buyer bid over the telephone during the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening sale. The price surpassed the previous record, made two years ago at Christie’s in New York when Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” brought $106.5 million.

Outside of Sotheby’s, demonstrators protesting the company’s longtime lockout of art handlers waved placards with the image of “The Scream” along with the motto, “Sotheby’s: Bad for Art” and "People Before Profit." The group is a mix of union members and Occupy Wall Street protesters. 

Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Sotheby's

Sotheby's is holding its Impressionist and Modern Art Evening sale tonight. The sale will be led by Edvard Munch’s "The Scream", an image that reflects the pulsating anguish of modern society. This painting is among the most recognizable images in the history of art. Executed in 1895, this work is one of four versions of the painting, and the only one still in private hands. Also on offer is a series of Modern masterpieces from the collection of Theodore J. Forstmann including a brilliant wartime portrait by Picasso inspired by his muse, Dora Maar, a monument to anti-painting by Joan Miro from 1931 and one of Chaim Soutine's most magnificent portraits,Le Chasseur de Chez Maxim's.

Sotheby's Expects to Sell Munch's "The Scream" For 80 Million or More

Giant poster of "The Scream" on display outside Sotheby's

Sotheby's New York will auction the only privately owned version of Edvard Munch's painting called "The Scream" on May 2 where it expects to sell for over $80 million, the highest pre-sale value the auctioneer has ever put on a work of art. "The Scream" is one of the most instantly recognizable images in art and popular culture, second only perhaps to Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa". The 1895 work is owned by Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father Thomas was a friend, neighbor and patron of Munch, the auctioneer said on Tuesday. There are four versions of the famous depiction of an apparently screaming figure. The three others are part of Norwegian museum collections. The painting aims to to convey Munch's anxiety in the hills above Oslo and has been interpreted by many as the embodiment of modern-day anxiety and existential angst.

Exhibition of the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor Opens at Christie's Rockefeller Center

The opening of the special exhibition of the "Collection of Elizabeth Taylor" today drew huge crowds to Christie's New York at Rockefeller Center. The exhibit features the entire collection of Elizabeth Taylor, the celebrated, Academy Award winning movie star, fashion icon and humanitarian. The items from the collection will go on auction at Christie's beginning December 13. Included in the collection are jewelry, couture, memorabilia, household items, and art work like a Van Gogh painting that have been on a world tour. The most jaw-dropping pieces from the collection are the 33.19 carats diamond ring, the Peregrina pearl ruby and diamond necklace, the BVLGARI emerald and diamond jewelry all gifted to her by Richard Burton, as well as the antique diamond tiara presented to her by Mike Todd. This will be the last opportunity for the public to see one of the greatest private collections of jewelry, memorabilia and fashion ever amassed. This is a timed-ticketed exhibition, and the $30 admission ticket must be purchased in advance online. The exhibition runs through December 12. For tickets and exhibition schedule, check Christie's website.

"Dancers" by Fernando Botero for Latin American Art Sale at Christie's

Fernando Botero's sculpture called "Dancers" will be among the Latin American artworks to be auctioned in this evening's Latin American Sale at Christie's New York. This bronze with dark brown patina sculpture by the Colombian born Botero is signed, numbered and stamped with foundry mark "Botero 1/3" on the base. Executed in 2007, the piece is 125 1/4 x 78 3/4 x 63 inches. It is edition one of three and is estimated at $1,5000,000 - 2,000,000. The sculpture has been on display outside Christie's at 20 Rockefeller Plaza ahead of this evening's auction.

Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction 2010

BC/EFA auctioneer Lorna Kelly and actor Bryan Batt (TV’s “Mad Men”) at the Grand Auction in Shubert Alley

Broadway memorabilia flea market at West 44th Street

The 24th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction took place last Sunday, Sept. 26 in Shubert Alley in Manhattan’s theater district. Playbill.com reported that the event raised a total of $476,917 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Since its debut in 1987, the 24 editions of The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction have raised a grand total of $8,638,669 for BC/EFA. A total of $239,342 was raised by 72 tables: Highest earners were the booths hosted by the Broadway show Wicked ($19,834) and ”Broadway Beat” ($12,171).

This year's Silent Auction included 114 items and raised $55,925. The top item sold was an A Little Night Music “Soon” musical phrase, handwritten and signed by Stephen Sondheim that went for $3,500.

This year’s grand auction, with BC/EFA auctioneer Lorna Kelly and actor Bryan Batt (TV’s “Mad Men”), featured 44 “lots,” which raised $126,650. The top-selling item was a walk-on role in the Broadway show Wicked that sold for $16,500.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised over $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Art Collection of MICHAEL CRICHTON

Artworks from the collection of best-selling author and screenwriter, film director and producer, MICHAEL CRICHTON are on public exhibition for the first time in New York at CHRISTIE'S. The display is being presented ahead of the public auction on May 11-12, 2010. The selection of artworks include Jasper Johns' "Flag," one of the most famous icons of 20th century art. Mr. Crichton is renowned for his scientific thrillers such as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, and for creating the television series ER. Crichton is also acknowledged as a leading authority on the American artist Jasper Johns and as an important collector of 20th century art. Also included in the auction are paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol, as well as sculptures by Jeff Koons. Christie's is located at 20 Rockefeller Plaza #6, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.