Franz Marc’s Weidende Pferde III sold for £12.3 million at Sotheby’s

Franz Marc’s Weidende Pferde III at Sotheby’s

Franz Marc’s Weidende Pferde III sold for £12.3 million ($24.3 million) at Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s sale of Impressionist Art at London realise £144.5 million ($285 million)

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February 7th 2008 – “Weidende Pferde III”, a masterwork painted in 1910 by Franz Marc sold for more than $24 million at Sotheby’s, surpassing the previous auction record for the artist

Weidende Pferde III (Grazing Horses III) depicts the most iconic motif in Franz Marc’s oeuvre, red horses, and this important work is the only example from the artist’s Weidende Pferde series still in private hands. Marc believed that the horse, with its flowing mane and strong, sinuous physicality, symbolised the ideal beauty of nature. The beautiful canvas, painted in 1910, is a magnificent example that already exemplifies the objectives of this new wave of German Expressionism. The rhythmic dynamic postures of the four horses and vibrant colours of the composition evoke the sensation of movement reinforced by the bright greens and yellows of the meadows.

At the same sale, “Schokko mit Tellerhut” by Alexej von Jawlensky was sold for £9,428,500 ($18,624,116 / €12,568,152) and Pablo Picasso’s striking 1938 portrait of Dora Maar – “Tête de Femme” (La Lectrice – Dora Maar), from the collection of the noted connoisseur, collector and dealer Heinz Berggruen, was sold for £7,412,500 ($14,641,911 / €9,880,832)

11 lots sold for more than $5 million, and 52 lots surpassed the $1 million barrier