Peter Doig's Architect's Home in the Ravine sold for $16.2m

Peter Doig's The Architect's Home in the Ravine was the headline lot of an auction of contemporary art at Christie's London on February 11.

It sold for £11.2m ($16.2m).

Doig architect Christies
The Peter Doig painting depicts the home of architect Eberhard Zeidler

The work dates to 1991 and features architect Eberhard Zeidler's home on the outskirts of Toronto as its subject.

Doig explained: "Instead of painting the fa?�ade of a building and then shrouding it in trees I would pick the architecture through the foliage, so that the picture would push itself up to your eye.

"I thought that was a much more real way of looking at things, because that is the way the eye looks: you are constantly looking through the things, seeing the foreground and the background at the same time."

Christie's describes the work as "an epic masterpiece of Peter Doig's early oeuvre, infused with a magical atmosphere and executed with astounding technical virtuosity."

Doig is among the most in-demand living artists and the market for his work grows year on year. His record is $26m, set last year for Swamped - a painting from his canoe series.

Francis Bacon's Two Figures was another highlight, selling for £5.4m ($7.9m).

The work was originally part of a larger canvas, but Bacon decided he didn't like the composition and split it in two.

The other part of the painting is housed in an Australian collection.

Pregnant Girl by Lucian Freud was the star of Sotheby's contemporary art sale on February 10.

Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about art and photography auctions.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock