Fernando Botero’s ‘Mujer fumando’ leads Christie’s auction

Fernando Botero: Mujer Fumando
Photo: Christie’s

Fernando Botero’s ‘Mujer fumando’ leads Christie’s auction

Christie’s highly anticipated Latin American Sale totaled $14,691,900, led by anexceptional selection of works by artists representing 15 countries. Six new world auction recordswere set for Oswaldo Guayasamín, Victor Manuel, José Clemente Orozco, León Ferrari, and JavierMarin, and for a work on paper by Fernando Botero. The sale was 89% sold by lot and 90% byvalue.

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November 18 2009 – Source: Christie’s
Leading the sale was Fernando Botero’s Mujer fumando, a glorious, monumental bronze from 1987,which fetched $1,142,500 – the second highest price achieved for a sculpture by the artist. An iconicexample of one of the artist’s most beloved themes, Mujer fumando depicts a sumptuous recliningnude who embodies Botero’s own interpretation of the feminine ideal. Christie’s now dominatesthe market for works across all media by Botero, with world auction records for a painting, asculpture and a work on paper by the artist.

Botero’s Mother and Child, 1990, a rare and exquisite work on paper, sold for $614,500 – a new worldauction record for a work in this medium by the artist. Considered one of the finest examples of hiswork on paper, the gleaming, transparent washes of color and maternal theme discreetly nod to boththe technical and thematic legacy of the artist’s art historical references.

A superb group of major paintings from the 1940s and 50s by the Surrealist master, Matta, allpresented for the first time at auction, were 100% sold. Leading this impressive selection of workswas a 1948 painting entitled Crucisphere, which totaled $398,500. This work was one of the highlightsexhibited at the artist’s MoMA retrospective in 1957. An exceptional result was achieved for Quiinsuffle le printemps, 1952-1958, which sold for $494,500. Other works included Eupure, 1944, whichrealized $386,500; and Horror is not Truth, 1948, which realized $146,500. Another Chilean master,Claudio Bravo, achieved the second highest price of the sale with $722,500 for White, Blue and YellowPapers, a luminous, transcendental and other-worldly work from his famous series depicting creased,colored paper.