• World
  • May 16

Rabbit sculpture sells for a record $91m

A sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons has sold for $91.1 million at an auction organised by Christie’s in New York — a record price for a living artist.

Christie’s initially estimated that Rabbit, a stainless steel casting of an inflatable rabbit, would sell for between $50 and $70 million. Once the bidding began, the winning offer came in at $80 million which — including auctioneer’s fees — resulted in a final sale price of $91.075 million.

Produced by Koons in 1986, Rabbit is among the best-known works by the artist, who built a reputation for challenging art world conventions. At 41 inches (1.04 meters) in height, the figure was auctioned from the collection of deceased publishing mogul S.I. Newhouse.

The sale follows another record-setting auction price this week. On May 14, one of the few paintings in Claude Monet’s celebrated Haystacks series that still remains in private hands sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $110.7 million — a record for an Impressionist work.

Who is Jeff Koons?

Jeff Koons is an American artist and his work has been shown in major galleries and institutions throughout the world. Born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1955, Koons made a name for himself by using everyday objects in special installations that touched on consumerism and the human experience. Koons is widely known for his iconic sculptures Rabbit and Balloon Dog as well as the monumental floral sculpture Puppy. Among his many honours are the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture (2002), designation as an Officer of the French Legion of Honour (2007), and the US State Department Medal of Arts (2012).

Which artist held the record earlier?

In November, 2018, David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) set a new benchmark for a living artist, when it sold for $90.3 million — also at Christie’s in New York. The British painter’s artwork had overtaken Balloon Dog sculpture of Koons, the previous record-holder, which went for $58.4 million in 2013.

Which artworks fetched top price in auctions?

A 500-year-old painting of Christ, believed to have been work of Leonardo da Vinci, was sold in New York for a record $450m. The painting is known as Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World). It is the highest auction price for any work of art.

Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti’s 1947 sculpture, L’homme au doigt (Pointing Man), set a world record for a sculpture in May 2015, selling for $141.3 million.

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