Koons 'Pink Panther' Sculpture To Sell In NYC

NEW YORK — Jeff Koons' porcelain sculpture of a pink panther hugging a bare-breasted blonde is coming to a New York City auction. It's estimated to bring $20 million to $30 million.

Sotheby's is selling "Pink Panther" on May 10. There were three editions made of the work; the one up for auction is the artist's proof.

One was sold at Christie's in 1999 for $1.8 million, reportedly to the newsprint magnate Peter Brant. The others are in the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

Sotheby's didn't identify the seller of the artist's proof. But The New York Times says it's the publisher Benedikt Taschen.

Koons' "Balloon Flower Magenta" sold for $25.7 million in 2008 at Christie's. It set a record for the artist.

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Online: www.sothebys.com

Comments

[moAb]

02:25 PM on 03/13/2011

Real live tulip bulbs anyone?

[Mithrall]

12:42 PM on 03/13/2011

You're punking us right?

[iLoveOldNY]

12:22 PM on 03/13/2011

Sucker born every minute.

[GrownupStewie]

03:20 PM on 03/12/2011

on par with oil painting of elvis on velvet....

[rikster]

01:55 PM on 03/12/2011

if someone is willing to pay that much..yes...!

[tomasino]

12:32 PM on 03/12/2011

That looks like it should be sitting in Michael Scott's office.

[Chris White 1]

10:09 AM on 03/12/2011

i wonder how much his assistants got paid for creating it.

[Bucket-Of-Love]

03:56 AM on 03/12/2011

The only relevance that this article has is: 1) Discussion about the price of an art work is meaningless, as it presumes that art is a commodity; 2) It's a reminder that Jeff Koons' work süçks.

[discouragerofhesitancy]

07:21 AM on 03/12/2011

Good morning Bucket! How ya doin?

[Bucket-Of-Love]

03:51 PM on 03/12/2011

Hi Discourager - Always amazed to see how art has become totally unhinged from reality b/c of money. The market for Koons' work, priced at $20- 30M, particularly demonstrates this. Typical disconnect created by unchecked wealth.

By contrast, in the article in the Arts section about the stolen Rodin sculpture, it is mentioned that the value of that piece is valued at only a few hundred of thousand dollars. Go figure.

[brooklyncitizen]

11:31 PM on 03/11/2011

Are we speaking $30 million in Zimbabwe's currency?

[LMPE]

11:20 PM on 03/11/2011

Calling Insp. Clouseau. We just found the Pink Panther...and he's got a better deal nowadays!

[Sam Salinitis]

11:03 PM on 03/11/2011

and?

[paddy523]

10:33 PM on 03/11/2011

30 million??? it looks like something I saw at a fun house in Coney Island when I was a kid!!! Man I sure got into the wrong business!!!

[JennaS]

07:22 PM on 03/11/2011

The value of a piece of artwork is like real estate...it is all about what someone is willing to pay! If they are willing to pay $30 Million for the piece...than that is what it is worth.

[brooklyncitizen]

11:30 PM on 03/11/2011

It depends.
I'd pay 30 million for certain Picasso's and other painters....Morandi, De Staeel, Braque.

THis panther statue? 30 cents

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

05:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Pesos, perhaps.

[banker67]

03:36 PM on 03/11/2011

You bet it's worth $30 million!
Why, if billionaires didn't invest wisely in art pieces like this, all their money would just go into their illegal foreign bank accounts or worse, hard-pressed domestic charities.
I defy anyone to say that one or six hours spent gazing upon this magnificent work isn't far more important than increased help for the homeless, medical care for the destitute elderly and maybe job creation.
Far better that Wall Street moguls can share manly witticisms about this sculpture at the next ultra-exclusive rooftop gala than to waste such massive unearned wealth on alleviating real-life human suffering.
All of which is not to say that this piece of art isn't much, much better than what you see in amusement parks with keen fun houses and merry-go-rounds. It is!

[William K]

03:48 PM on 03/11/2011

Da-yum.