Hockney Painting Breaks Record Sales

British artist David Hockney’s painting has broken a record as his painting sells for $90m (N32.7 billion) at Christie’s, New York. This is an auction record for a painting of a living artist as most expensive auctions are recorded by very old paintings done by deceased artists.

The painting called Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) was estimated at $80m (N29.1 billion).

The painting was purchased after two bidders battled for about 10 minutes via telephone when the bid exceeded $70m (N25.5 billion).
The auction house has not disclosed the identity of the buyer but has described the painting as “one of the great masterpieces of the modern era.”

The Hockney painting was created in 1972 and is one of the works that most distinguishes the Yorkshire artist’s work.

David Hockney Painting. Photo: Los Angeles Times

The framework of the painting is impressive as it was originally the two figures in the painting are
were two different photographs on the artist’s studio floor and was incorporated into one painting, finished in time for an exhibition at New York’s André Emmerich Gallery in 1972.

The 81-year-old artist had made personal auction records this year when his painting sold for $28.5m (N10.4 billion)