Giacometti Sculpture 'L'Homme qui marche I' Fetches $104.3 Million, World Record: Sotheby's (PHOTO)

LONDON – A life-size bronze sculpture of a man by Alberto Giacometti has been sold at a London auction for 65 million pounds ($104 million). Sotheby's says the sale set a world record as the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction.

The auction house said Wednesday it took just eight minutes for bidders to reach the hammer price for "L'Homme Qui Marche I" (Walking Man I), which opened at 12 million pounds.

Sotheby's says the piece was sold to an anonymous bidder by telephone.

The sculpture is considered on of most important works by Giacometti, a 20th Century Swiss artist, Sotheby's said.

PHOTO:

Comments

[shivasquest]

09:56 PM on 02/04/2010

Amazing piece of art.Worth every penny.

[SukiTheCat]

02:21 PM on 02/04/2010

I wonder what Duchamp's toilet is worth?

[Aedh Wishes]

12:26 PM on 03/03/2010

No doubt somebody would want to spend a penny on it...

[SukiTheCat]

02:17 PM on 02/04/2010

I guess I just don't understand art, but this just seems like a colossal waste of money

[KIVPossum]

01:50 PM on 02/04/2010

Obviously I don't understand art. If I had it I'd weld a few pipes on the shoulders and turn it into a coat rack

[BartRoberts]

01:27 PM on 02/04/2010

That someone can afford to pay so much for a work of "art" such as this remains the best proof that, yes, there really are, indeed, some people who are too rich.

[CigarGod]

09:52 AM on 02/04/2010

I don't understand the total value, but I'd like to know what the bidders thoughts were.

[JimDougherty]

09:12 AM on 02/04/2010

Most ridicoulous waste of money I've ever seen. Beyond me why anyone would spend that kind of money on just a useless object. Money could be used to do so much good and it's wasted on a useless object. Unbelievable and beyond comprehension, unless some kind of money laundry scheme/tax evasion or other scheme.

[BartRoberts]

01:28 PM on 02/04/2010

A price like this proves that there really are people who are too rich.

[OldSchoolUSA]

07:23 AM on 02/04/2010

what a piece of crap

[RButler]

07:12 AM on 02/04/2010

I don't know. When I look at it, I see the Virgin Mary.

Just joking. But, how are the folks who think this is 'art' any different from the folks who see the face of Jesus in a tortilla? They both justify themselves. They both think they are seeing what is there but they are both bringing something to the viewing.

[stylembe]

04:30 AM on 02/04/2010

That is absolutely incredible. to think it wasn't a Hirst.

http://www.stylembe.wordpress.com

[TJCole]

04:22 AM on 02/04/2010

I wonder what the David or Pieta by Michelangelo would be worth...?

[houseraffling]

02:51 AM on 02/04/2010

Art is in the eye of the beholder. it is very subjective.

www.kffam.org

[Bowen Man]

02:42 AM on 02/04/2010

Wow! As this sculpture was being sold, I was doing my usual daily hike, thinking about Giacometti's creativity. He's an artist I wouldn't normaly consider in my ordinary day-dreaming. What are the odds of that?

[TJCole]

04:19 AM on 02/04/2010

Interesting, synchronicity....

[Palaver]

02:42 AM on 02/04/2010

His sculptures are suppose to be like modern life, devoid of meaning and empty. Apparently, not devoid of value.

[1cubfan]

09:00 PM on 02/04/2010

Thank you for your art history lesson.
With this knowledge, I now understand the bidders life must imitate his art purchase

[Stilts9]

01:58 AM on 02/04/2010

$104,000,000 is the size of Blankfein's bonus for last year at Goldman Sachs.

[TJCole]

04:20 AM on 02/04/2010

I was thinking that too...