New York/London — Irish bloodstock billionaire John Magnier is selling an Amedeo Modigliani nude estimated at $150m, the most for any work of art at auction this season, according to people familiar with the matter. The 1917 Nu couché (sur le côté gauche) depicts a reclining female nude from behind, one leg bent, looking calmly over her shoulder at the viewer — a pose almost identical to La Grande Odalisque by Ingres from a century earlier. The piece, previously owned by casino mogul Steve Wynn, will be the star lot of Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art sale on May 14 in New York. The May auction season is poised to be the biggest on record, driven by Christie’s offering a trove of masterpieces from the estate of David Rockefeller. The top end of the art market has been on a tear, with global art sales ringing up $63.7bn in 2017, a 12% increase from a year earlier. Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi fetched $450.3m in November, the most expensive work ever sold. "This is among t...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.