Edward Hopper's Bridal Path featured as top lot in Sotheby's American Art sale in New York yesterday (May 17), with an impressive 48.3% increase on estimate.
 Bridal Path features a rare theme for the artist |
The piece was brought to auction by the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art in order to raise funds for its current acquisitions program. The work has already been requested at two major exhibitions dedicated to the artist in Madrid and Paris later in the year.
The oil painting shows three men on horseback, galloping up a bridal path in New York's Central Park. It represents a rare digression for the artist, who is famed for the stillness and isolation of his works.
The 1939 piece soared past its pre-sale estimate of $7m to achieve $10m.
The current world record for Hopper's art was set in 2006, when Hotel Window sold for $26.8m. Hotel Window is a classic example of Hopper's recurring theme of isolation in American urban life.
Also featuring in the sale was a painting once stolen during a violent Massachusetts home invasion in 1976. Childe Hassan's In the Sun brought $1.9m, sitting comfortably within its estimate of $1.5-2.5m.
The auction also featured several works from classic American artist, Norman Rockwell, who's missing Coca-Cola artworks are currently being sought by the company in conjunction with the Antiques Roadshow.
Rockwell's War Hero Job Hunting (Welcome Home Hero) saw an increase of 68% when it sold for $422,500 against a $150,000-250,000 estimate.
Collectors should view the current sale over at PFC Auctions, which has a superb range of investment grade art pieces and US memorabilia on offer.
