A 1986 “Rabbit” sculpture by American pop artist Jeff Koons sold for 91.1 million U.S. dollars in New York on Wednesday, a record price for a work by a living artist, Christie’s auction house said.
The playful, stainless steel, 41-inch (104 cm) high rabbit, regarded as one of the most celebrated works of 20th-century art, was sold for more than 20 million U.S. dollars over its pre-sale estimate.
U.S. artist Jeff Koons poses with “Gazing Ball (Birdbath)” for photographers during the press launch of an exhibition of his work at the Ashmolean Museum, on February 4, 2019, in Oxford, England. /VCG Photo
Christie’s said the sale made Koons the highest-priced living artist, overtaking the 90.3-million-U.S.-dollar record set last November by British painter David Hockney’s 1972 work “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures).”
The identity of the “Rabbit” buyer was not disclosed.
The auctioneer takes bids for the sale of David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) during the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on November 15, 2018, at Christie’s in New York. /VCG Photo
The shiny, faceless oversized rabbit, clutching a carrot, is the second in an edition of three made by Koons in 1986.
The sale follows another record-setting auction price this week.
Jeff Koons’ “Rabbit” sculpture attracts large crowds and long lines at an exhibition in New York, July 20, 2014. /VCG Photo
On Tuesday, one of the few paintings in Claude Monet’s celebrated “Haystacks” series that still remains in private hands sold at Sotheby’s in New York for 110.7 million U.S. dollars – a record for an Impressionist work.
(Cover: A 1986 “Rabbit” sculpture by American pop artist Jeff Koons is on display. /Reuters Photo)
Post time: Jun-02-2022