Sotheby's news stories on Newser

Marie de Medici Diamond Fetches Dazzling $9.7M

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:30:00 CDT

The diamond Marie de Medici wore when she was crowned queen of France in 1610 has been sold at auction in Geneva for an eye-popping $9.7 million. The 35-carat pear-shaped "Beau Sancy" diamond has been passed down by royal families through the centuries. The buyer is anonymous, reports the...

Warhol's Double Elvis Sells for $37M

John Johnson — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:30:06 CDT

Another strong day for Sotheby's, though maybe not on the scale of the The Scream : Andy Warhol's silkscreen Double Elvis sold for $37 million. One of 22 made by Warhol, it's based on a movie still and shows Elvis as a gun-toting cowboy, notes the Guardian . Roy Lichtenstein's Sleeping Girl...

Munch's The Scream Fetches Record $120M

John Johnson — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:26:18 CDT

The experts thought Edvard Munch's The Scream would bring in a princely sum, but not this much: $119.9 million. That's the most ever paid for a painting at auction, reports the New York Times . (The previous record was $106.5 million for a Picasso, notes AP .) No word...

The Scream May Fetch $200M

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:04:00 CDT

One of the most recognizable painting in human history is now expected to fetch up to $200 million—well beyond Sotheby's early $80 million estimate —when it goes on the auction block this week. British oddsmakers are betting a Russian is most likely to scoop up Edvard Munch's The Scream...

This Tiny Dish Just Sold for $26.7M

John Johnson — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:08:35 CDT

Handle with care: A 900-year-old ceramic dish dating back to China's Song dynasty has sold for $26.7 million at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong, reports the AP . It was probably used to clean brushes by a Song scholar back in the day, notes Bloomberg . Only about 70 "Ru"...

The Scream Expected to Fetch $80M at Auction

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:40:05 CST

One of four versions of Edvard Munch's iconic The Scream is expected to sell for more than $80 million at auction May 2 in New York. The estimate is the highest pre-sale value ever placed on a work of art by auction house Sotheby's, Reuters notes. This 1895 pastel-on-board is...

Sun-Drop Diamond Fetches $12.3M

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:05:00 CST

A dazzling 110-carat yellow diamond has fetched $12.3 million at a Sotheby's auction, a record for a diamond of its kind, and the eighth-highest price ever paid for a diamond. The gem, named the Sun-Drop, was found in South Africa last year and given the "fancy, vivid yellow" grading,...

Painting Looted by Nazis Sells for $40.4M

John Johnson — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:50:25 CDT

The high-rent district of the art world might be rebounding if Sotheby's recent auction is an indicator. The big seller was a landscape by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, which went for $40.4 million, way above the $25 million estimate, reports the BBC . The history behind Litzlberg on the Attersee...

Rebounding Art World Expects Huge Spring Prices

Rob Quinn — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:57:05 CDT

The art market has bounced back amazingly well from the downturn, and auction houses are aiming to sell $1 billion in Impressionist and modern works at two major sales next week. A dozen works are expected to fetch close to $20 million apiece, a price the auction houses couldn't reach...