Sotheby’s Contemporary Art sale achieves €45.5 million ($53.5m) in Paris Up to 43% on the same series in June 2017 Highest total for a Contemporary Art sale in France

The Evening and Day sales Set 2 New Artist Records Kazuo Shiraga – €8.7 million ($10.3m) Made five times its estimate More than twice the previous world auction record set at Sotheby's Paris in 2014* The most valuable work sold in France this year Mark Tobey – €1.4 million ($1.6 million) Made seven times its estimate Over double its previous world auction record

This 24-hour sale was led by Kazuo Shiraga’s monumental work. Sotheby's was presenting a truly exceptional painting by the artist in terms of its impressive size and creation date. Takao, 1959 was competed by eleven bidders from nine countries all the way up to €8.7 million, smashing his previous world record, obtained at Sotheby’s in Paris in 2014.*

The second highest price, €4.1 million ($4.8 million), went to a painting by Zao Wou-ki, 21.03.69. This composition exploring movement in a highly subtle palette largely was sold over its high estimate of €3.2 million (estimate: €2,200,000-3,200,000).

The highly sought-after Portrait d’Homme Façon Carton-Pâte, painted by Jean Dubuffet in 1946, garnered a splendid €3 million ($3.6 million) against an estimate of €1.25-1.8 million. Here the artist takes us into the realm of the poetic and the mystical, abandoning all traditional techniques in favour of poor materials.

The success of the Evening sale was consolidated by the next day's results, which culminated in the world auction record achieved for Mark Tobey with Autumnal Fire, 1965. This fetched €1.4 million ($1.6 million), i.e. seven times its estimate, crushing its previous record set in London in 2011.

Art Contemporain Juin18 opTen JOUR

Art Contemporain Juin18 TopTen SOIR