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Freud painting sets auction record
A Christie's auction house source reveals that a painting Benefits Supervisor Sleeping by British artist Lucian Freud has broken a global record by fetching more than $33 million at a New York sale.
A Christie's auction house spokeswoman says a painting by British artist Lucian Freud has broken a global record for living artists by fetching more than $33 million at a New York sale.
Spokeswoman Sara Fox says an anonymous buyer won Tuesday's bidding for Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping.The life-size 1995 portrait depicts a nude woman sleeping on a worn-out sofa.
At more than $33.6 million, the price easily topped the $23.6 million record for living artists. It was set in November by Jeff Koons' Hanging Heart sculpture. The 85-year-old Freud is the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
Tuesday's sale also included Studies for Self Portrait, by British artist Francis Bacon. Fox says it sold for more than $28 million.
The prices include the auction house's commission, known as the buyer's premium.
