Kupka's painting L'Apothéose d'Héléne was auctioned for 15 million CZK

František Kupka: L'Apothéose d'Héléne

Prague - The painting by František Kupka, L'Apothéose d'Héléne (The Deification of Helena), was auctioned today for 15 million crowns, with a starting bid of 12 million. The work The Diver by the painter Toyen was taken home by its new owner for 13 million, starting at 9.5 million. The auction surcharge in both cases was five percent of the final price. The auction was organized today in the Topič Salon in Prague by the company 1. Art Consulting.
      Kupka's work dates back to before the start of his famous abstract period and depicts the artist's favorite theme, the Judgment of Paris. It is his only completed work on an antique theme. A certificate of authenticity and provenance, issued by the French Ministry of Culture, was attached to it.
      The painting The Diver comes from 1926 and connects two themes of Toyen: an interest in the underwater, changing world and the geometrization of the surface. It has been exhibited multiple times and is published in many monographs. After an auction in the 1980s, it re-entered the market in 2010, when it was auctioned at Sotheby's in Paris for 600,750 euros (then about 15 million crowns) including the auction surcharge. It was offered at auction in the Czech Republic for the first time.

Toyen: Potápěč

      So far, the most expensive work by Toyen sold at domestic auctions has been the painting Sleeping, which changed owners for 20 million crowns; with the auction surcharge, the buyer paid 23.2 million crowns. However, in the domestic ranking of the most expensive works, two paintings by Kupka lead ahead of Toyen, with prices reaching 22 million (Collapse of the Verticals) three years ago, and in 2007, 22.1 million crowns (Élévation (Heights) IV). In both cases, however, these were abstract paintings by this artist (1871 to 1957).
      On April 18, the auction house Adolf Loos Apartment and Gallery will be offering a significant abstract work by František Kupka, Shape of Blue - its starting price has even been set at 45 million crowns. If sold, it would become his most expensive work in the world. Currently, at the top of this ranking is Kupka's Movement from the American collection of the Hascoe couple, auctioned last June in London for 1.3 million pounds; including the auction surcharge and tax, the price amounted to approximately 43 million crowns.

Ranking of the most expensive paintings sold at auctions in the Czech Republic since 1990
(prices are in crowns without auction surcharge):

1. František Kupka: Élévation (Heights) IV, 22.1 mil., 2007
2. František Kupka: Collapse of Verticals, 22 mil., 2009
3. Toyen: Sleeping, 20 mil., 2009
4. Oscar Kokoschka: London, Chelsea Reach, 19.5 mil., 2008
5. Emil Filla: Still Life with Cherry Bottle, 16.25 mil., 2010
6. František Kupka: L'Apothéose d'Héléne (The Deification of Helena), 15 mil., 2012
7. Josef Šíma: Leda and the Swan, 14.6 mil., 2008
8. František Kupka: Abstract Composition, 13.4 mil., 2007
9. Toyen: Remainder of the Night, 13.2 mil., 2010
10. Toyen: Diver, 13 mil., 2012
11.-13. Josef Čapek: Girl in Pink Dress, 12 mil., 2007
11.-13. Toyen: Sad Day, 12 mil., 2009
11.-13. Emil Filla: Still Life with Pipe, 12 mil., 2011
14.-15. Georges Braque: Green Washbasin, 11.5 mil., 2008
14.-15. Toyen: Geometric Composition, 11.5 mil., 2011