As much as I want a painting by a legend, i think I'd have to pass on this one.
Posted on 05/03/2006 11:52:04 AM PDT by Republicanprofessor
A painting by Vincent Van Gogh has sold at auction in New York for more than $40m (£22m). L'Arlesienne, Madame Ginoux commanded the fourth highest price on record for a work by the renowned Dutch artist.
The 1890 painting was one in a series of five created in homage to Van Gogh's friend, the artist Paul Gaugin.
Madame Marie Ginoux owned a cafe in Arles, France where both artists lived briefly. It was during this period that Van Gogh cut off his own ear.
The painting was created while the artist recovered at an asylum in Provence, France.
Artistic homage
Writing to Gauguin in 1890, Van Gogh said of his work: "It gives me enormous pleasure when you say the Arlesienne's portrait, which was based strictly on your drawing, is to your liking.
"I tried to be respectfully faithful to your drawing, while nevertheless taking the liberty of interpreting, through the medium of colour, the sober character and the style of the drawing in question.
"It is a synthesis of the Arlesiennes, if you like; as syntheses of the Arlesiennes are rare, take this as a work belonging to you and me as a summary of our months of work together."
Dora Maar With Cat is one of the last portraits painted by Picasso Other works which went under the hammer at the Christie's sale in New York included Picasso's portrait of his ballerina wife Olga Khokhlova, entitled Le Repos.
The painting fetched $34.7m (£19.3m), well in excess of its reserve price of up to $20m (£11.1m).
Created in 1932, it sheds light on Picasso's tempestuous relationship with Khokhlova.
Another Picasso portrait, this time depicting his lover Dora Maar, is to be auctioned in New York on Wednesday.
The 1941 artwork Dora Maar With Cat is expected to fetch $50m (£27.1m) when it is sold at Sotheby's auction house.
If it reaches its expected sale price, it will become one of the 10 most expensive paintings ever sold.
Sotheby's representative David Norman said it was Dora's "sculptural presence" and the "gorgeous palate of colours" that made it worth so much.
"Besides just being Dora - who was one of his most famed lovers and subjects of his work - it's really just the presence and the execution of the picture that makes it so valuable."
It's nice to know that someone's got that much money to pay for an old picture. (sarc)
I know drunks who can paint better.
Here's the one of Dora Maar by Picasso mentioned in the same article and expected to catch about $50 million.
Boy, I'd love to have 40 mil to to blow on such frivolity.
Art Ping.
A busy day for good art stories (and time to post them). Let Sam Cree, Woofie, or me know if you want on or off this ping list.
Who belongs in an asylum, van Gogh or the insecure status seekers who shell out millions for like paintings I can see hanging in any grade school hallway.
The emperor has no clothes.
Speaking of "art", and money:
I don't have 40 million, but I'd pay anyone $67.35 and a couple of twelve packs to haul the rusting hulk of post-industrial waste, known as the Serra Sculpture out of downtown St. Louis.
lol...oh, a Pollack fan, eh?
Actually, i kinda like that one. Of course i wouldn't pay more than 40 bucks for it. And at 40 bucks, it'd have to come with a nice frame.
and what she really looked like.
Hate to say it, but the painting is prettier.
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