Christie’s knocked down six artists’s records at its sale of Latin American art last night in New York. Leading the pack was a massive 2007 sculpture of two dancers by Chilean artist Fernando Botero that realized $1.76m, in the mid range of its $1.5m-$2m estimates. All told, the auction brought in $15,333,750.
Brazilian art was a particularly strong seller, with four works—also record setters—soaring past their estimates. “Serie Bahia, No. 28,” a 1957 oil on canvas by Jose Pancetti (1902-1958), brought in $362,500, more than four times its high estimate of $80,000. Antonio Bandeira’s “Blue Streets,” a 1957 oil on canvas did even better, fetching $482,500 against a $70,000-$90,000 estimate. The trend continued with “Bandeirinhas estruturadas,” a tempura on canvas by Alfredo Volpi that realized $842,500, well above its $250,000-$350,000 estimate.
