Basquiat's Museum Security takes $14.6m top spot at Christie's

Jean-Michel Basquiat's run of success continued last night (February 13), when his Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown) topped Christie's Contemporary Art auction in London.

Basquiat Museum Securty (Broadway Meltdown)
The auction record for Basquiat's work was broken three times in 2012, and his work has been in high demand since



The piece, created in 1983 and widely exhibited, sold 3.7% above its $9m high estimate at £9.3m ($14.6m). It was first displayed at the artist's second solo show at the famed Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles.

The sale follows lacklustre results for Basquiat's work at Sotheby's own contemporary art auction on February 12, which looked to be the end of a long run of strong results. However, it appears that buyers were simply saving their bids for this outstanding piece at Christie's.

Peter Doig The Architect's Home in the Ravine
The work was inspired by Doig's walk through the woods behind Eberhard Zeidler's modernist home



Peter Doig's The Architect's Home in the Ravine was the night's biggest success story, achieving a world record price for his work at £7.6m ($11.9m). Executed in 1991, the work depicts Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler's modernist home at the heart of a Toronto ravine and is considered one of the crowning pieces of Doig's career.

Another auction record was seen for the work of Pierre Soulages, whose Peinture sold with an impressive 369.8% increase on its £700,000 high estimate to realise £3.2m ($5.1m).

Allen Jones risque hatstand, table and chair also achieved a new record, after all three sold for a combined £2.1m ($3.3m).

Jones' saucy furniture previously sold for £1.9m at Sotheby's in May 2012, as part of the Gunter Sachs Collection. The price achieve at Christie's represents a 9.6% increase in value.

Also featuring was David Hockney's Great Pyramid at Giza, which saw the second highest price ever achieved for his work, selling at £3.5m ($5.5m). In total, the auction realised £81.6m ($127.7m), with 90% sold by lot.

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