A canvas by british painter David Hockney was sold for $ 90.3 million at auction at Christie’s on Thursday, setting by far the record for a living artist, and concluding a week of sales in New York. “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with two figures)” has dethroned “Balloon Dog (Orange)”, Jeff Koons, sold for 58.4 million dollars in 2013, also at Christie’s in New York. The auction started at $ 18 million and the 50 million dollars was taken in 30 seconds.

The painting was eventually sold for $ 80 million at the end of a little more than nine minutes, the price increased to $ 90.3 million by adding fees and commissions, during this sale, which was the last of the major autumn sales in New York. “I think this is a record that will stand for long,” responded Loïc Gouzer, the co-chair of the Post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s who, with this sale, exceeded one billion dollars on the week.

The sale on Thursday evening. DON EMMERT/AFP Nothing of this sum will go to the painter

The table has also smashed the record for a work by the british painter, now 81 years old, until now held by “the Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica”, which was acquired last may for $ 28.4 million, at a sale organised by Sotheby s. Nothing on this sum will go to the painter himself, who sold the painting in 1972 for approximately $ 20,000.

“I hope he is happy”, commented on, about David Hockney, Alex Rotter, co-chair of the Post-war and contemporary art at Christie s. “I hope he is not angry that we have sold for so much money.” “We can rarely say: it is the opportunity to buy the best painting of the artist. (…) This time, it is the case”, was estimated to Ana Maria Celis, vice-president of the department Post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s, during the presentation of the canvas. Beyond that, the work is regarded as “one of the greatest works of art of the modern age”, argued Alex Rotter, co-chair of the contemporary Art and post-war at Christie s.

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On this large canvas (2,13 m to 3.05 m) an elegant man, standing at the edge of the pool, looking thoughtfully another swim under the water in his direction, with the backdrop of an idyllic landscape of trees and mountains. She became a works cult of David Hockney, appearing on the cover of numerous books on the artist. She was also one of the attractions of the retrospective which was consecrated in 2017, for his 80th birthday.

Record for a work of Rene Magritte

The record of Hockney concluded the major autumn sales in New York, marked by a sustained demand, but also a few duds. For two consecutive evenings, Sunday, and Monday, the canvas feature has not found a taker, a Van Gogh, estimated at 40 million dollars and a work by the American Marsden Hartley estimated 30 million.

on Thursday, a painting by Jackson Pollock, was a highlight of the sale to Phillips, third world house, estimated at approximately $ 18 million, stayed on the arms of his owner. “I think that there really is an evolution of the taste in this moment”, has analyzed Edward Dolman, CEO of the auction house Phillips. “And you see it on the whole week sales here in New York. There is an appetite for novelty and contemporary art.”

a Sign that the interest of collectors continues unabated, dozens of records were broken this week, including by artists not contemporary, like the belgian painter René Magritte, whose painting “The pleasure principle” was acquired Monday for $ 26.8 million at Sotheby s. the collection of The tycoon of tourism Barney Ebsworth, dispersed by Christie’s, has reached $ 323 million, which is the fourth largest in the history of the auction. “I think (the market) was always responding to things that are suitable,” said Edward Dolman. “It is necessary to select and ensure that they follow the trends of the market.”