Yves Saint Laurent Auction: Record Brancusi, Matisse, Mondrian Sales (SLIDESHOW)

***UPDATED 4:45pm ET***

The world may be embroiled in a crippling credit crisis, but that didn't stop collectors from paying record prices at what Christie's is calling the "sale of the century." The auction house brought in $262 million in its first night of the three day sale of Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Berge's 733-piece art collection. During the sale's first night, collectors acted as if they were dancing on the Titanic, paying record prices for Brancusi, Matisse and Mondrian. A three-foot Brancusi wooden sculpture went for $36,792,835 (realized price without fees). The most recent Brancusi record was for "Bird in Space" which sold for $27.4 million in 2005. Other sales records from the night:

HENRI MATISSE Les coucous, tapis bleu et rose: $45,264,579
PIET MONDRIAN Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir: $27,191,525

See a slideshow from the show and the preview:

• • • • • • • • • •

Henri Matisse's canvas is auctioned on February 23, 2009 at the Grand Palais in Paris during the auction of hundreds of art treasures amassed by late fashion king Yves Saint Laurent and his companion Pierre Berge over half a century. The Matisse sold for a record $45,264,579.

Below is a longer list of what sold Monday night. The complete list is here.

#
Lot 1, Sale 1209, Paris
EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917)Paysage d'Italie vu par une lucarne
price realized
€457,000
($576,129)

#

Lot 2, Sale 1209, Paris
PAUL GAUGUIN (1848-1903)Etude de femmes martiniquaises
price realized
€673,000
($848,435)

#

Lot 3, Sale 1209, Paris
EDOUARD MANET (1832-1883)Jeune fille en chapeau d'été
price realized
€721,000
($908,948)

#

Lot 4, Sale 1209, Paris
EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917)Femme à sa toilette
price realized
€553,000
($697,154)

#

Lot 5, Sale 1209, Paris
PAUL CEZANNE (1839-1906)La montagne Sainte-Victoire vue des Lauves (recto); Etude d'arbres (verso)
price realized
€2,081,000
($2,623,467)

#

Lot 6, Sale 1209, Paris
GEORGES SEURAT (1859-1891)L'homme à femmes
price realized
€301,000
($379,464)

#

Lot 7, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (1864-1901)La Tauromachie
price realized
€529,000
($666,898)

#

Lot 8, Sale 1209, Paris
GUSTAV KLIMT (1862-1918)Etude de femme pour 'Jurisprudence'
price realized
€49,000
($61,773)

#

Lot 9, Sale 1209, Paris
ODILON REDON (1840-1916)Il y a peut-être une première humanité essayée dans la fleur
price realized
€145,000
($182,798)

#

Lot 10, Sale 1209, Paris
EDOUARD VUILLARD (1868-1940)Marie rêveuse et sa mère
price realized
€1,129,000
($1,423,303)

#

Lot 11, Sale 1209, Paris
EDOUARD VUILLARD (1868-1940)Les Lilas
price realized
€385,000
($485,360)

#

Lot 12, Sale 1209, Paris
PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)Ferme sur le Gein, dissimulée par de grands arbres, au coucher de soleil
price realized
€313,000
($394,592)

#

Lot 13, Sale 1209, Paris
PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)Ferme sur le Gein, dissimulée par de grands arbres
price realized
€385,000
($485,360)

#

Lot 14, Sale 1209, Paris
EDVARD MUNCH (1863-1944)Bord de mer
price realized
€1,129,000
($1,423,303)

#

Lot 15, Sale 1209, Paris
LE DOUANIER ROUSSEAU (1844-1910; HENRI, DIT)...Bord de rivière
price realized
€337,000
($424,848)

#

Lot 16, Sale 1209, Paris
EDOUARD VUILLARD (1868-1940)Vuillard au col blanc
price realized
€517,000
($651,770)

#

Lot 17, Sale 1209, Paris
JAMES ENSOR (1860-1949)Le désespoir de Pierrot (Pierrot le jaloux)
price realized
€4,993,000
($6,294,556)

#

Lot 18, Sale 1209, Paris
JAMES ENSOR (1860-1949)Modèle: Buste d'homme
price realized
€67,000
($84,465)

#

Lot 19, Sale 1209, Paris
JAMES ENSOR (1860-1949)Nu académique
price realized
€46,600
($58,748)

#

Lot 20, Sale 1209, Paris
JAMES ENSOR (1860-1949)Au Conservatoire
price realized
€577,000
($727,410)

#

Lot 21, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI LAURENS (1885-1954)Femme accroupie
price realized
€217,000
($273,567)

#

Lot 22, Sale 1209, Paris
GEORGES BRAQUE (1882-1963)Compotier, Quotidien du Midi
price realized
€3,201,000
($4,035,425)

#

Lot 23, Sale 1209, Paris
JUAN GRIS (1887-1927)Nature morte à la théière (recto); Etude de bouteille (verso)
price realized
€169,000
($213,054)

#

Lot 24, Sale 1209, Paris
JUAN GRIS (1887-1927)Tasse et pipe
price realized
€1,073,000
($1,352,706)

#

Lot 25, Sale 1209, Paris
JUAN GRIS (1887-1927)Le Violon
price realized
€3,873,000
($4,882,599)

#

Lot 26, Sale 1209, Paris
JUAN GRIS (1887-1927)Nature morte
price realized
€121,000
($152,542)

#

Lot 27, Sale 1209, Paris
GIACOMO BALLA (1871-1958)Compenetrazione iridescente - Eucalyptus
price realized
€1,745,000
($2,199,880)

#

Lot 28, Sale 1209, Paris
JEAN FAUTRIER (1898-1964)Fleurs
price realized
€169,000
($213,054)

#

Lot 29, Sale 1209, Paris
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)Portrait-charge: Massine, Bakst et Diaghilev
price realized
€169,000
($213,054)

#

Lot 30, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI MATISSE (1869-1954)Portrait de Micheline
price realized
€385,000
($485,360)

#
Lot 31, Sale 1209, Paris
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)Homme dans un fauteuil
price realized
€625,000
($787,923)

#

Lot 32, Sale 1209, Paris
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)Poulet, verre, couteau, bouteille
price realized
€625,000
($787,923)

#

Lot 34, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)Le médaillon bleu
price realized
€649,000
($818,179)

#

Lot 35, Sale 1209, Paris
CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI (1876-1957)Madame LR (Portrait de Mme LR)
price realized
€29,185,000
($36,792,835)

#

Lot 36, Sale 1209, Paris
ALBERTO GIACOMETTI (1901-1966)Annette dans la cellina à Stampa (recto); Etude de tête d'Annette (verso)
price realized
€94,600
($119,260)

#

Lot 37, Sale 1209, Paris
MARCEL DUCHAMP (1887-1968)Belle haleine - Eau de voilette
price realized
€8,913,000
($11,236,407)

#

Lot 38, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)La tasse de thé
price realized
€11,489,000
($14,483,909)

#

Lot 39, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)Le damier jaune
price realized
€3,761,000
($4,741,403)

#

Lot 40, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)Composition, dans l'usine
price realized
€5,553,000
($7,000,535)

#

Lot 41, Sale 1209, Paris
ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976)Dancers and Sphere
price realized
€1,577,000
($1,988,086)

#

Lot 42, Sale 1209, Paris
PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir
price realized
€21,569,000
($27,191,525)

#

Lot 43, Sale 1209, Paris
PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)Composition avec grille 2
price realized
€14,401,000
($18,154,998)

#
Lot 44, Sale 1209, Paris
PIET MONDRIAN (1872-1944)Composition I
price realized
€7,009,000
($8,836,079)

#

Lot 45, Sale 1209, Paris
GIORGIO DE CHIRICO (1888-1978)Ritratto di Paul Guillaume
price realized
€115,000
($144,978)

#

Lot 46, Sale 1209, Paris
AMEDEO MODIGLIANI (1884-1920)Portrait de Jean Cocteau
price realized
€193,000
($243,311)

#

Lot 47, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)Le profil noir
price realized
€3,537,000
($4,459,012)

#

Lot 48, Sale 1209, Paris
LOUIS FERNANDEZ (1900-1973)Composition
price realized
€73,000
($92,029)

#

Lot 49, Sale 1209, Paris
FERNAND LEGER (1881-1955)Ballet mécanique
price realized
€145,000
($182,798)

#

Lot 50, Sale 1209, Paris
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)Instruments de musique sur un guéridon
estimate
€25,000,000 - €30,000,000
($31,516,905 - $37,820,286)

#

Lot 51, Sale 1209, Paris
ANDRE DERAIN (1880-1954)Vue de Collioure
price realized
€163,000
($205,490)

#

Lot 52, Sale 1209, Paris
ANDRE DERAIN (1880-1954)Nature morte à la table
price realized
€1,465,000
($1,846,891)

#

Lot 53, Sale 1209, Paris
ANDRE DERAIN (1880-1954)Rue à Collioure, Quartier du Mirador
price realized
€121,000
($152,542)

#

Lot 54, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI MATISSE (1869-1953)Le Danseur
price realized
€6,785,000
($8,553,688)

#

Lot 55, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI MATISSE (1869-1954)Les coucous, tapis bleu et rose
price realized
€35,905,000
($45,264,579)

#

Lot 56, Sale 1209, Paris
HENRI MATISSE (1869-1954)Nu au bord de la mer
price realized
€8,241,000
($10,389,233)

#

Lot 57, Sale 1209, Paris
GIORGIO DE CHIRICO (1888-1978)Il Ritornante
price realized
€11,041,000
($13,919,126)

#

Lot 58, Sale 1209, Paris
PAUL KLEE (1879-1940)Sollte Steigen
price realized
€2,193,000
($2,764,663)

#

Lot 59, Sale 1209, Paris
RAOUL DUFY (1877-1953)Jardin de salon, la marine
price realized
€181,000
($228,182)

#

Lot 60, Sale 1209, Paris
OSKAR SCHLEMMER (1888-1943)Projet de décor pour "Die glückliche Hand" d'Arnold Schoenberg
price realized
€51,400
($64,799)

#

Lot 61, Sale 1209, Paris
PAUL KLEE (1879-1940)Gartenfigur
price realized
€3,985,000
($5,023,79)

Comments

[Diogenes08]

Bear in mind that this is just day 1. 2 days of this auction left. Get out yer wallets, folks!

Saint Laurent and Berge must be yukking it up. After all, most of the pieces sold were created by contemporaries of theirs. Bet they paid all of $50,000 for the lot back in the day.

[nycfrenchie]

by the way, most of the money raised goes to a foundation for AIDS research..­.

[ChaiKat]

I wouldn't even pay $5 for for half this stuff at a garage sale! I've never though much of Picasso, and those hideous pieces of wood at the beginning of the slide show are no way worth the money what it fetched.

I cannot fathom paying these prices for such frivolous items. Yes, some of those smaller sculptures and bronzes were lovely, but they would be just as lovely in a museum and not in a private home.

[daedelus]

I'm guessing that you have a 4-year-old who could do better.

[ChaiKat]

No, but I've got some really talented cats! I've just never been into that kind of art.. I'll take Raphael any day. It's fine for someone who likes it, but I just can't imagine paying that much money for this. Maybe that's why I'm not rich, I'd just spend my money on mundane things like a house, furniture, food!

[PhilipTaylor]

Now we know where Americans' and the Worlds' money is, in the Hands of the ELITE that run our Banking System and manipulate us like an animal crop to "Feather their NESTS" and become even Richer!

The FED, IMF, and other Money Changers have us RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT US:

1. Wipe out 401K and Retirements
2. Force Social Security and Medical Care into Harsh Cutbacks!

All to further enrich the Elites!

Put the FED functions under the Treasury and President and hire trustworthy non-Bilderberg cabinet members!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4290944.stm

Bilderberg Group

ORGANIZATION

Founded in 1954, the Bilderberg Group holds "by invitation only" annual meetings of the rich and powerful. About two-thirds of the attendees are European, the rest American. Informally named for the site of the group's first meeting, the Hotel de Bilderberg in Oosterbeek, Netherlands.

http://www.nndb.com/org/514/000042388/

Trifecta- people who are connected to the Bilderberg Group, CFR and Trilateral Commission

http://mapper.nndb.com/maps/594/000001591/

[truthynesslover]

They got the middleclass to play the rich mans game [greed}.no­body wanted to complain even when we watched jobs shipped over to slave economies[because they all thought they could get rich too}.
It was all a big scam and alot of people fell for it.

[nomadicexpat]

who is getting even richer? as it says in the article, people stopped buying other stuff to save for these pieces .. they are world class and people paid up

we should be grateful that money is flowing .. not spouting long disproved conspiracy theories!

as i remember correctly, Lehman was at the heart of most of these theories as the old Kohn Loeb Bank .. well, theyre dead now along with your Trifecta theory

[kolorkin]

I don't know what' is worse: running a story like this in this dire global economy in which people are losing homes, jobs etc...or reading about the ridiculous amount the art pieces are fetching. While i have a profound appreciation for art, but when i look at the state of the world, i wish more of that money can be directed to help the environment, extinct species, homelessness, hungry people and children, refugees, and civilians of war-torn countries. life is not fair i know but i only wish fortunate and wealthy people would put things more in context and use common sense and compassion more. we're living in a very different world with many urgent economic, social and environment issues and a planet that truly is in peril. as First Lady Obama puts it, "When you have/get, you give...". very powerful and inspirational.

[PhilipB]

I agree.
There is a positive note in that people are coming together in a grass roots way to make a better world: small things like recycling or even just having your own re-usable grocery bags can make a difference. This is just one aspect. Edible schoolyards, food policy in cities is another. The list goes on. When people come together great things can happen.

[liseworks]

O/T : Just got an email from a friend (& fellow bloggger here at H P) - Kathleen Wells.

Please check her piece about A C O R N & the valuable work that R oseanne B arr has done on behalf of ordinary citizens who are facing fore closure.
And please post a comment -
We can all pitch in and help, to one degree or another.
Yes, we can.

http://www.hu___ffingtonpost.com/kathleen-wells/roseanne-barr-joins-acorn_b_169206.html.
**(take out the underscore)

[Carolab]

Look at what has been happening in the Inland Empire in California--people have been just walking out of their homes leaving everything behind.

http://kcet.org/socal/2008/09/foreclosure-alley.html

[SayWhatYouWill]

As a first reaction, I can definitely understand people's reaction of disgust. But, what people need to remember is, that the pieces are not going to lose their value, so buying a piece of art in many ways is just like having the same amount of money in the bank. The buyers here essentially swapped cash for the art.

[HGMercury]

The people that buy art for art's sake will not lose because they'll keep it long enough. However, there's a lot of wannabes that are going to bid up art and other collectibles. A bubble will form in a couple of years and then some of those are going to lose their shirt. It happened in the 80's with silver, coins and stamps and to some extent with some art.

[SayWhatYouWill]

Perhaps, but at the end of the day it remains that art is just another investment vehicle. The real issue should be whether someone "deserves" to have so much money -- not, in what investment vehicle they should hold their money. Losing their shirts in art or in stocks is irrelevant.

[HGMercury]

ANOTHER BUBBLE FORMING! Just like it happened in the early 80's with precious metals and art, stamps, coins, etc. I guess people just can't sit on 2% or 3% returns for a little while. Greed, greed, greed.

[PeacefulRevolution]

I don't care how much f**in money they have. Buy up. I just pray they do their best for the people, the society they live amongst. They can have everything but to lose it at the end of the day.

[theMightyT]

does anyone know if the people picketing the oscars and protesting Harvey Milk are the same skidmarks that protested at the fu.ne.ral of one of the plane cr.a.sh victims?

Westboro baptists, i believe... real class acts.

I enjoyed Penn's remarks... their grandchildren WILL be ashamed of them.

[PeacefulRevolution]

They are people who love their money more than their lives. One day it will come back to a h a u n t them. In the meantime, we have to get busy and make change.

[Troll Spray]

The “signs of ha tred” he referred to were held by protesters from a Kansas-based ha te group that calls itself the Westboro Baptist Church, and that is infamous for its “God Hates F ags” signs and for staging ugly protests at the fun erals of U.S. military service members.

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2009/02/23/signs-of-hatred-westboro-baptist-hate-group-protested-oscars/

[lornejl]

Funny, I never thought I would enjoy a fine art thread so much. It must be that open mind thing that libs have ; )

[PeacefulRevolution]

It is a good thing isn't it!? Peace.

[theMightyT]

is it wrong to make fun of old republican dudes?

cuz the main thread is mac chastising obama about Bush's fleet of helicopter­s... i almost feel bad commenting on it... poor guy must be suffering from dem.en.tia or something.­..

[suzycolorado]

Wrong? No. Too easy? Maybe.

[SCG]

He's just not the same since he broke up with Palin.

[Culturemaven]

Is it wrong?
No.

[PeacefulRevolution]

It might be nice if you could offer a new story so we can talk. I do not care about John Mc Cain.

[theMightyT]

sure... how about the moving speech about Harvey Milk and gay rights that Sean Penn gave? and the writer of the film (can somebody help me out with his name?)

I didn't much care for Penn back in the Fast Times days... but he's become an icon now.

[lornejl]

It's wrong to be an old repub dude.

[MissTraci]

New Main

PeaceRev: I did your work for ya. It's breaking news....Tr­y google yourself

http://www.politico.com/politico44/

[PeacefulRevolution]

TY Traci!!! I'm there.

[mrsmdressup]

New/old main....

[HumeSkeptic]

This I have saved as a classic:
----------­----------­----------­----------­----

hopesobamafails See Profile I'm a Fan of hopesobamafails I'm a fan of this user permalink

Mom righting for you agian. i figured you for a latchkey kid, but she must be home.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:14 PM on 02/23/2009

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hopesobamafails was complaining about my writing ("righting"). "agian"!

.

[mrsmdressup]

Can I not take a sip of water without spitting it everywhere! ROFLMAO!!! (getting the roll of paper towels)

[suzycolorado]

Oh priceless.

Kin sumbudy healp mee right mi nam???

[shockmagog]

So much for right wing grammer.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Or grammar.

[lornejl]

That is a keeper. I bet he still doesn't get it.

[MontanaHome]

OMG. It just doesn't get much better than that.