| Quote: |
| NEW YORK - A Vincent Van Gogh portrait of a French cafe owner sold for $40 million at auction Tuesday, according to Christie's, which handled the sale.
"L'Arlesienne, Madame Ginoux" had been owned by the same family since 1929, when it was bought by Dr. Harry Bakwin, a wealthy American pediatrician. An anonymous buyer purchased the portrait for $40,336,000, Christie's said. The 1890 painting depicts Marie Ginoux, the owner of a cafe in Arles, the city in the south of France where Van Gogh set up a studio. The artist painted five portraits of Ginous; one was destroyed and three are in museums. In the painting, Ginoux fixes a penetrating gaze on the viewer while resting her elbow on a table. Before her are two books, French translations of Charles Dickens' Christmas stories and Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Also sold Tuesday was Pablo Picasso's "Le Repos," the artist's portrait of his wife, Olga Khokhlova. The Gagosian Gallery bought the 1932 painting for 34.7 million, Christie's said. Another Picasso work, "Portrait de Germaine," went to the Acquavella Galleries for $18.6 million, the auction house said. All prices included a buyer's premium. |
Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060503/ap_on_en_ot/van_gogh_auction;_ylt=Ao9EQHau1x2MxSie501Qkg5xFb8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
