ARTS The autumn sales of Impressionist and modern art held in New York this week demonstrated that big money is still available on the right works of art but that the market will mercilessly reject the run-of-the-mill.
The two evening sales were an exercise in contrasts. Christie’s offered a lacklustre selection of works of art on Tuesday and failed to find buyers for almost a quarter of the 41 lots, and its total fell short of expectations, raising just $65.7m, well below the pre-sale estimate of $68.7m-$97.2m (pre-sale estimates do not include premium; results do). Among the few highlights was Degas’ pretty pastel “Danseuses” (1896), which went to an unidentified Asian buyer for $10.7m, above estimate.
