Van Gogh floral still life sold for US$61.8m (£38.7m)

[webfact]

Van Gogh floral still life sold for $61.8m (£38.7m)

(BBC) A floral masterpiece by Vincent van Gogh, painted in the closing stages of his life, has sold in New York for $61.8m (£38.7m).

Still Life, Vase with Daisies, and Poppies exceeded its estimate of up to $50m (£31.3m) at the Sotheby's auction.

A 1951 piece by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti fetched more than $100m (£62.7m), but fell just short of the record $104.3m (£65.3m) for the artist.

A sculpture by Amedeo Modigliani set a new benchmark for his work.

Tete, an elongated head created in 1911-12 from a block of limestone scavenged from a Paris building site, was sold for more than $70m (£44.2m).

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29911772


-- BBC 2014-11-05

[ClutchClark]

These players nowadays are not even art enthusiasts, they are simply people with far too much money looking for more profits.

[Tywais]

These players nowadays are not even art enthusiasts, they are simply people with far too much money looking for more profits.

And I thought they were people with too much money wanting everyone else know they have too much money.

[whiteman]

End the end it' s prob a fake as well

[smotherb]

These players nowadays are not even art enthusiasts, they are simply people with far too much money looking for more profits.

And I thought they were people with too much money wanting everyone else know they have too much money.

Guys, don't you know the rules? The one with the most toys wins.

[ClutchClark]

These players nowadays are not even art enthusiasts, they are simply people with far too much money looking for more profits.

And I thought they were people with too much money wanting everyone else know they have too much money.

One does not negate the other but at the end of the day art has been a great place to invest since the 2008 crash.

[Somtamnication]

Hope my check arrives soon! Wife is crying for gold.

[DeepInTheForest]

Imagine what "Starry NIght" would have brought.

A symptom of our diseased gilded times, in which oceans of money flow to the privileged, while politicians guarantee that inequality will increase rather than abate.

(Van Gogh sold one painting in his lifetime, for the equivalent of forty cents or so.)

Sales like this should be heavily taxed.

[KonKorat]

wow,with thank kind of money i could have an endless supply of woman for the rest of my life.but seriously 61.8m for a painting.could have built a whole village in Thailand and housed many poor and homeless people and charge a small rent to them and still make a packet at the same time

[DrTuner]

Private bidder from Asia. I did read an article somewhere about the "economic pole" of the earth steadily shifting towards Asia. A hint for those just starting up their careers in the west.

[boomerangutang]

I like Van Gogh, though he, like all the rest since the 17th century, are overpriced.

I've been researching art forgers. You'll notice the old masters aren't forged because they require too much skill.

The newer the paintings, the easier they are to forge, because newer stuff is often not much more than paint splattered on a canvas. One very adept forger was asked if he could forge anybody. He said 'yes.' The interviewer then asked, 'even Picasso'? The forger laughed out loud and said, "Ha, Picasso is one of the easiest." I can see why. But don't tell that to Steve Winn of Las Vegas.

[schweizer]

Private bidder from Asia. I did read an article somewhere about the "economic pole" of the earth steadily shifting towards Asia. A hint for those just starting up their careers in the west.

Ok I admit it, it was me,

my only problem now is will it look right sitting between my other masterpieces

[minikev]

When he was alive he lived a paupers life while his brother was a wealthy art dealer, Vincent's paintings were sold very cheaply.

It just goes to show how opinions can change.

Personally I think he was a bit mad but a genius.