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Alexander Calder's Red Bull sculpture up 32.5% on estimate
Local artist Alexander Calder's The Red Bull sold for $530,500 in Philadelphia on May 12
Paul Fraser Collectibles, Tuesday 15 May 2012
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Pennsylvania artist Alexander Calder's (1898-1976) The Red Bull was the top seller at a strong day of art sales in his home state.
The 1973 painted sheet metal sculpture sold to a New York buyer for $530,500 on May 12, 32.5% up on its $400,000 pre-sale high estimate.
The 40 inch-high piece was joined on the auction block by two other superb Calder works; his Voie Lactee gouache from 1970, estimated at $40,000-60,000, sold for $104,500, while the vibrant gouache Loops On Orange beat its $30,000 valuation with a $36,250 performance.
 Alexander Calder sculptures are hot property |
"We achieved robust prices throughout our sale and are thrilled that the top two results were both by Alexander Calder, an artist of international import but with Philadelphia roots," commented the auction house's head of Modern and Contemporary art, Anne Henry.
It has been a buoyant few days for Calder, best known for his abstract mobile sculptures.
The world record for his work now stands at $18.5m, after his 1945 Lily of Force sold at Christie's on May 8, against a $12m estimate, while Snow Flurry from 1948 made $10.3m, more than doubling the $4.5m valuation.
A number of prints from the estate of New York-based fashion stylist Janet Brown also performed well; a collection of Brice Marden prints known as SUZHOU I-V made $98,500, comfortably up on the $80,000 estimate.
Picasso's Tete De Femme (Portrait Stylise De Jacqueline) sold within estimate for $74,500.
PFC Auctions currently has this superb Picasso lithograph up for grabs. The auction runs until May 24.
Meanwhile, French artist Jules Pascin's Negro Scene oil painting made $59,375, just below its $60,000 high valuation.
Recent and related articles
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· Egon Schiele Secession poster tops estimate by 44% | 11 May 2012
· Ernst Beyeler Collection mask exceeds estimate by 2,120% | 11 May 2012
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Images: Freeman's
