Just happening to fall around the time of Pablo Picasso’s birthday, some of the artist’s works have sold for millions at a Las Vegas auction at the Bellagio Hotel. Among the offerings were nine paintings and two ceramic works. They had been part of the decorative backdrop at the Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. There, they had sat for over 20 years. A few months ago, however, the establishment’s owner, MGM Resorts, decided to give the landscape an overhaul and then listed the masterpieces for sale. Sotheby’s organized the event that took place last Saturday. Reports indicate that this is the first time the notable auction house has ever held an evening marquee sale outside of its New York locale, at least as far as North America goes. Many are familiar with Picasso’s biography. Born October 25, 1881, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish artist who spent most of his adult life in France. He co-founded the Cubist movement. He died in the spring of 1973 with 70 years’ worth of art to his name, more than 13,000 pieces. The artworks in the sale were completed by Picasso in the years from 1917 to 1969. Many of these works are now renowned in the art world. They garnered top dollar accordingly.
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Picasso painted his muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, in 1938 and called it “Femme au béret rouge-orange,” meaning “woman with a red-orange cap.” This painting sold for $40.5 million, the result of a bidding war. The original estimates for the work fell between $20 and $30 million. The same painting had been sold at auction in the 1980s for about $900,000. It was later kept by Steve Wynn in 1998. The casino owner relinquished the art as part of the purchase by MGM Resorts years later. Also on the auction block were two still-life paintings done from the 1940s. Picasso had created them in the Cubist style: “Nature morte au panier de fruits et aux fleurs” and “Nature morte aux fleurs et au compotier.” They sold for $16.6 million and $8.3 million respectively. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Sotheby’s Another work, the roughly six-feet tall “Homme et enfant” (1959), sold for $24.4 million. The ceramic, “Le dejeuner sur l’herbe,” an hommage to Manet’s piece by the same title, sold for $2.1 million. That’s four times the original estimate. The event was certainly exclusive with a VIP list of 150 people in attendance, some of whom reportedly took their seats in gold-framed chairs. The night didn’t last long; the auction only went for 45 thrilling minutes. We can’t say who took home the prized treasures. The buyers’ names remain unknown. As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Just happening to fall around the time of Pablo Picasso’s birthday, some of the artist’s works have sold for millions at a Las Vegas auction at the Bellagio Hotel. Among the offerings were nine paintings and two ceramic works. They had been part of the decorative backdrop at the Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. There, they had sat for over 20 years. A few months ago, however, the establishment’s owner, MGM Resorts, decided to give the landscape an overhaul and then listed the masterpieces for sale. Sotheby’s organized the event that took place last Saturday. Reports indicate that this is the first time the notable auction house has ever held an evening marquee sale outside of its New York locale, at least as far as North America goes. Many are familiar with Picasso’s biography. Born October 25, 1881, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish artist who spent most of his adult life in France. He co-founded the Cubist movement. He died in the spring of 1973 with 70 years’ worth of art to his name, more than 13,000 pieces. The artworks in the sale were completed by Picasso in the years from 1917 to 1969. Many of these works are now renowned in the art world. They garnered top dollar accordingly.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sotheby’s (@sothebys)
Picasso painted his muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, in 1938 and called it “Femme au béret rouge-orange,” meaning “woman with a red-orange cap.” This painting sold for $40.5 million, the result of a bidding war. The original estimates for the work fell between $20 and $30 million. The same painting had been sold at auction in the 1980s for about $900,000. It was later kept by Steve Wynn in 1998. The casino owner relinquished the art as part of the purchase by MGM Resorts years later. Also on the auction block were two still-life paintings done from the 1940s. Picasso had created them in the Cubist style: “Nature morte au panier de fruits et aux fleurs” and “Nature morte aux fleurs et au compotier.” They sold for $16.6 million and $8.3 million respectively. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Sotheby’s Another work, the roughly six-feet tall “Homme et enfant” (1959), sold for $24.4 million. The ceramic, “Le dejeuner sur l’herbe,” an hommage to Manet’s piece by the same title, sold for $2.1 million. That’s four times the original estimate. The event was certainly exclusive with a VIP list of 150 people in attendance, some of whom reportedly took their seats in gold-framed chairs. The night didn’t last long; the auction only went for 45 thrilling minutes. We can’t say who took home the prized treasures. The buyers’ names remain unknown. As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Just happening to fall around the time of Pablo Picasso’s birthday, some of the artist’s works have sold for millions at a Las Vegas auction at the Bellagio Hotel.
Among the offerings were nine paintings and two ceramic works. They had been part of the decorative backdrop at the Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. There, they had sat for over 20 years.
A few months ago, however, the establishment’s owner, MGM Resorts, decided to give the landscape an overhaul and then listed the masterpieces for sale.
Sotheby’s organized the event that took place last Saturday. Reports indicate that this is the first time the notable auction house has ever held an evening marquee sale outside of its New York locale, at least as far as North America goes.
Many are familiar with Picasso’s biography. Born October 25, 1881, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish artist who spent most of his adult life in France. He co-founded the Cubist movement. He died in the spring of 1973 with 70 years’ worth of art to his name, more than 13,000 pieces.
The artworks in the sale were completed by Picasso in the years from 1917 to 1969. Many of these works are now renowned in the art world. They garnered top dollar accordingly.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sotheby’s (@sothebys)
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sotheby’s (@sothebys)
Picasso painted his muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, in 1938 and called it “Femme au béret rouge-orange,” meaning “woman with a red-orange cap.” This painting sold for $40.5 million, the result of a bidding war. The original estimates for the work fell between $20 and $30 million.
The same painting had been sold at auction in the 1980s for about $900,000. It was later kept by Steve Wynn in 1998. The casino owner relinquished the art as part of the purchase by MGM Resorts years later.
Also on the auction block were two still-life paintings done from the 1940s. Picasso had created them in the Cubist style: “Nature morte au panier de fruits et aux fleurs” and “Nature morte aux fleurs et au compotier.” They sold for $16.6 million and $8.3 million respectively.
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Sotheby’s
Another work, the roughly six-feet tall “Homme et enfant” (1959), sold for $24.4 million.
The ceramic, “Le dejeuner sur l’herbe,” an hommage to Manet’s piece by the same title, sold for $2.1 million. That’s four times the original estimate.
The event was certainly exclusive with a VIP list of 150 people in attendance, some of whom reportedly took their seats in gold-framed chairs. The night didn’t last long; the auction only went for 45 thrilling minutes.
We can’t say who took home the prized treasures. The buyers’ names remain unknown. As they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
