London – Yvonne with Flowers, a signature work by Alex Katz (b.1927) topped Bonhams’ Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 16 March in London. The work, which had never before been offered at auction, achieved £756,300.
The 42-lot sale made a total of £3,242,153 with 81% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.
Leonie Grainger, Head of Department for Post-War & Contemporary Art, commented: “Yvonne with Flowers was a fresh to market work by one of the definitive American artists of the 20th century: the wonderful Alex Katz. The painting featured many of the most recognisable elements employed of his signature works and given the recent career-spanning retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, it was no wonder it captivated collectors. We are also delighted to have achieved such an impressive result for J.Y.M. Seated V, 1989 by Frank Auerbach, further adding to our particular strength in offering works by the artist.”
Other highlights of the sale include:
- Josef Albers (1988-1976), Study for Homage to the Square, 1965. Sold for £353,100.
- Richard Hambleton (1952-2017), Standing Shadowman Profile, 2012. Sold for £151,500.
- Leon Kossoff (1926-2019), Head of Heinz I, 1997. Sold for £94,800.
- Two works by Caroline Walker (B. 1982), Cats, 2005, which sold for £53,220, and A Taste of the Orient, 2005, which sold for £88,500.
