Rothko's painting has become the most expensive post-war artwork

Mark Rothko (1903-1970)

New York - The oil painting by American artist Mark Rothko "Orange, Red, Yellow" was sold at Christie's auction house in New York on Tuesday for 87 million dollars (1.69 billion crowns). This is the highest amount for an artwork created after World War II and sold at auction. Records were also set for the works of Gerhard Richter, Jackson Pollock, Yves Klein, and Alexander Calder.
     The painting by Mark Rothko was auctioned for 86.88 million dollars, thus surpassing not only the record for this artist's work but also for post-war works. The previous record was held by "Triptych, 1976" by British painter Francis Bacon, which was auctioned in 2008 for 86.3 million dollars.
     During the auction of 59 items, the total amount reached 388.5 million dollars (7.54 billion crowns), while the estimated prices ranged from 236 million to 330 million dollars. Only three works remained unsold, which is exceptionally few for such an auction.
     Auction statistics confirm that the art market, at least for top-tier works, is immune to the economic crisis. "It was phenomenal. It was something unprecedented," said Koji Inoun, a Christie's specialist who led the auction.
     "Experienced and new collectors were asserting themselves," said Brett Gorvy, who heads the post-war and modern art department at Christie's.
     Five works sold for over 20 million dollars, and records were set for works by 11 different artists. One of the fundamental abstract paintings by American Jackson Pollock, "Number 28, 1951," sold for 23 million dollars, which is double what his previously most expensive work sold for.
     Yves Klein's painting "FC1 (Fire Color 1)" found a buyer for 36.5 million dollars. A record was also set for the work of another American, Alexander Calder, known for his mobile sculptures. His mobile "Lily of Force" sold for 18.6 million dollars. The painting "Abstraktes Bild" by German Gerhard Richter was auctioned for 16 million dollars, and an unnamed painting by Dutch artist Willem de Kooning sold for 14.1 million dollars.
     The series of auctions in New York will conclude today with the auction of post-war and contemporary art at Sotheby's. This auction house sold Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" for 120 million dollars last week, which is the largest amount ever paid at auction for a painting.