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Matisse Pulls Impressive $33.6M

Art world breathes easier after first night of stellar sales

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 7, 2007 7:20 AM CST

(Newser) – A nervous New York art world breathed a sigh of relief on the first night of the fall auctions yesterday when a Matisse painting fetched a whopping $33.6 million, far above its high estimate. Collectors and dealers are watching November's sales at Sotheby's and Christie's with anxiety, reports the New York Times, but Christie's modern and impressionist sale broke several records, hitting new highs for Matisse, Cézanne, Signac and Pissarro.

Already jittery from global market turmoil, the art world is poised on a knife's edge because the two big auction houses have offered massive guarantees to woo collectors. If a painting doesn't sell, the client gets paid anyway and the auction house loses. Two bidders battled over Matisse's L'Odalisque, Harmonie Bleue (1937) until it was won by an anonymous telephone bidder.

A 1937 Matisse painting sold for $33.6 million at auction. (Christie's)

Matisse's 1937 painting sold for $33.6M at auction. (Associated Press)

A 1937 Matisse sold for $33.6 million at auction. (Christie's)

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Matisse Pulls Impressive $33.6M

Art world breathes easier after first night of stellar sales

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A dozen works are priced near $20 million each at auctions

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Matisse Pulls Impressive $33.6M

Art world breathes easier after first night of stellar sales

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

art market • art • Sotheby's • Christie's • painting • Matisse • Cézanne • Signac • art auction

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Painting Looted by Nazis Sells for $40.4M

Gustav Klimt landscape goes way above expectations at Sotheby's

Rebounding Art World Expects Huge Spring Prices

A dozen works are priced near $20 million each at auctions

Andy Warhol Self-Portrait Fetches $17M

It goes for twice as much as expected

Painting of Picasso's Mistress Fetches $40M

La Lecture sells for double estimate

Picasso Sells for Record $106.5M

Highest auction price ever paid for art

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?