Artnet Auctions is presenting 60 modern and contemporary works of art by artists including Damien Hirst, Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Represented in the sale are some of the most important artists of the 20th-21st centuries.
Artnet Auctions offers continuous online auctions of fine art, prints and photographs.
Leading the sale is an exceptional collection of works by cutting edge contemporary artists including Gilbert + George, Damien Hirst, Richard Pettibone and Wayne Thiebaud. Ferrocene, 2008, is one of two works by Damien Hirst offered in the sale. This 36 x 52-inch spot painting in vibrant primary colors is offered in pristine condition (estimate: $550,000-$750,000). In contrast, Richard Pettibone's diminutive Soup Can, 1968, is a 5 x 4-inch replica of the Warhol original, in acrylic on canvas (estimate: $75,000-US$125,000). Other contemporary highlights include Hot Dog Row, 2000, a mixed media work by Wayne Thiebaud (estimate: $225,000-$325,000) and Torture Cross, 1981, a graphic collage by the irreverent British duo Gilbert + George (estimate: $35,000-$45,000).
Pop art also figures prominently in the sale including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Six works by Andy Warhol trace the artist's career from the 1954 Happy Bug Day, a unique watercolor on offset lithograph (estimate: $20,000- $28,000) to two stunning 1987 Camouflage screenprints (estimates: $15,000- $20,000 each). Ground-breaking street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is represented with a rare work in acrylic on brown paper, Untitled (Taxi Cab), 1980 (estimate: $375,000- $475,000).
The auction also features a collection of modern masterworks by Willem de Kooning, Alberto Giacometti, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Giacometti has set numerous auction records in recent months. Included in this section is an exquisite pencil on paper drawing by the artist, Tete d'homme (estimate: $100,000-US$200,000).
Among the other modern highlights are two remarkable works by Pablo Picasso, Bacchanale, 1959, a dramatic linocut which juxtaposes earth tones with cerulean blue and white (estimate: $75,000-$85,000) and Untitled, 1963, a subtle watercolor depicting the horse and the bull, iconic imagery which recurs throughout Picasso's oeuvre (estimate: $150,000-$200,000).