Recognize This Man? The Art World Doesn't

The New York Times ^ | May 6, 2006 | Carol Vogel

[Republicanprofessor]

...This unidentified bidder at Sotheby's auction in New York on Wednesday bid $95.2 million for a Picasso and $2.5 million for a Chagall. Yesterday that man's face was being sent by e-mail around the world, as art dealers and collectors frenziedly speculated on his identity. He ended up spending $102.7 million, for a 1941 Picasso portrait, "Dora Maar With Cat." ...an 1883 Monet seascape for $5 million...a Chagall, a 1978 biblical scene, for which the man paid $2.5 million

But who was he? Sotheby's has refused to say. It is unclear whether he was acting for a client or buying for himself.

[Republicanprofessor]

A follow-up to a previous post. Maybe a bidder for the Russian mafia? Who knows.... I can't say that it's bad if they want to beef up their Russian collections with more modern works.

[kinoxi]

fools and their money...

[Republicanprofessor]

A fun image of the $95 million Picasso being auctioned, and the buyer of said painting. Recognize him anyone?

[eureka!]

Mr. Bean?

[Republicanprofessor]

Art ping #4 today.

Let Sam Cree, Woofie, or me know if you want on or off this ping list.

[Andonius_99]

damn, they got my picture...

[ErnBatavia]

[Fighting Irish]

$95 million for a stupid looking painting? The eyes are even crooked....and her nose!

[new cruelty]

'We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files'

[MPJackal]

Looks like the picture of Robert Blake in court.

[Niteranger68]

What an idiot! He could have got a really nice velvet-Elvis at Wal-Mart for under $20.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

LOL -- that was my instant impression too. I hope he managed to fit all the paintings into his Mini. Mr. Bean would probably try to tie them to the roof -- then have them blow off in traffic.

[lastchance]

Daddy!!!

[Piranha]

[T Minus Four]

My next husband :-)

[LIConFem]

Or the dogs playing poker... that's my fav!

[No Blue States]

Thats Tommy Lee Jones.

[itsamelman]

"Yes, yes, I like very much. I bid $100 million!"


.

[AppyPappy]

thinking "Man, I am soooo drunk"

[eureka!]

LOL. Mr. Bean is a hoot...

[cvq3842]

BEST LAUGH OF THE DAY!!!

[Republicanprofessor]

We already went through the "this art is cr%p" bit on this earlier thread. I'm not going to repeat my posts again. (Essentially, this is a very nice work of synthetic cubism, but no artwork is worth $95 million).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1626453/posts

But I do want to add that I'm getting really sick of the dogs playing poker on almost every challenging art thread I post. Don't the dogs do anything else?

[Niteranger68]

Or the dogs playing poker... that's my fav!

Oh yea. One of those "ladies I'm available" pieces of art.

[new cruelty]

Hmmmmmm. A signed and numbered Tippy the Turtle sketch... I bid eleventy kajillion bazillion dollars.

[itsamelman]

But I do want to add that I'm getting really sick of the dogs playing poker on almost every challenging art thread I post. Don't the dogs do anything else?

[RightWhale]

no artwork is worth $95 million

This one is, but it doesn't do either the artist or art a bit of good. It's just another commercial item and the purchaser is an investor, not an art patron.

[derllak]

That's my dad! (I wish!) :)

[Dark Skies]

I lightened this buyers photo on photoshop...thought the guy looked Russian (but who knows).

As to overpaying for the painting, he wasn't bidding against himself so there was at least one other party who also thought this painting's value was near the final price.

It is also possible that his appearance as a novice might have discouraged some bidders (much to his advantage).

In his photo, he doesn't look drunk or insane...I would guess there was method to his appearance of madness.

[massgopguy]

You need the big rubber "SOLD" stamp in red ink on it.

[jdm]

"We are going to make a killing on this painting."

[kenth]

[blu]

LOL! When he left home, our youngest took the framed dogs/poker picture (that had hung in his room as a joke) with him and hung it on his garage wall. It is supposed to be passed on to all younger sons! We habitually make instant "family heirlooms" of the tackiest dang things. And then we "gift" each other with them at inappropriate occasions.

Now, isn't there a pic like this but with cats? Don't bother posting it, I hate cats and would probably have to photoshop it and further disrupt this serious art thread.

[kenth]

heh...

[smith288]

MISSING: Sergi Girstolov, seen above, was last seen at an auction in New York City. Girstolov often plays table tennis (and carries his paddle everywhere) and suffers from Touretts syndrome.

[jdm]

LOL! Yeah, that's the better comparison photo...BY FAR!!!

[itsamelman]

Man, your family needs to come to my house on Xmas Eve. You should see the crap we stick each other with. I start scouring the thriftshops in August or make a Tijuana run for "just the right gift." You have to hang on to it for a whole year before you can finally unload it. We have this really tacky pope head that has been passed around and that has traveled the world being photographed in various locations.

[Aquinasfan]

$95.2 million --it's still a piece of crap.

But then, modern "art" is all about speculation, isn't it?

[nuconvert]

I don't think he's from around here and I don't think English is his native language.

[pgyanke]

It's Paul Simon!

[TradicalRC]

I'm getting really sick of the dogs playing poker on almost every challenging art thread I post. Don't the dogs do anything else?

Yeah, but I think "Dogs Sniffing Each Other"s Kiesters" was banned for being "Too Controversial".

[TradicalRC]

I'm pretty sure that was the guy who played Carla's husband on Cheers.

[TradicalRC]

In his photo, he doesn't look drunk or insane...I would guess there was method to his appearance of madness.

Of course there is; now every Picasso in the world increased in value.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Best guesses:

John Galt
Kaiser Soze
OKC John Doe #2
Tourist Guy

[justshutupandtakeit]

LoL. He HAD to ask.

[stylecouncilor]

LOL

[Diddle E. Squat]

Or:

Batman
The real Deep Throat
D. B. Cooper
The Plame leaker

[RikaStrom]

Kaiser Soze

Heh, gotta love Kaiser Soze, great movie!

[Rockpile]

$102.7 million? Maybe he's paying in Zimbabwe dollars.

[Glenn]

You're the winner. Excellent!

[woofie]

Thats my brother in law ! and he doesnt have a dime