CHRISTIE’S OPENING SPRING AUCTION BRINGS IN $289.2 MILLION

Robin Pogrebin and Scott Reyburn of the New York Times report that last night’s opening spring auction at Christie’s brought in a total of $289.2 million, more than double the amount of the house’s starting spring auction last May, which totaled $141.5 million. More than three quarters of the fifty-five lots were sold yesterday.

The works that took in the most money were a Constantin Brancusi sculpture, La Muse Endormie (The Sleeping Muse), 1913, which sold for $57.4 million with fees, and Picasso’s Femme Assise, Robe Bleue_ (Seated Woman, Blue Dress), 1939, which was purchased for $45 million. The Brancusi, only one of six bronze works by the artist based on a piece done in white marble, was estimated to go for anywhere from $25 million to $35 million. The Picasso, a portrait of the artist’s lover Dora Maar, carried an estimate of $35 million.