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Lichtenstein Painting Fetches $43M

It's a record for the late pop artist

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 9, 2011 4:12 PM CST

(Newser) – If you've got millions to spare, may as well put it on the wall rather than in the markets: A 1961 Roy Lichtenstein painting (I Can See the Whole Room! ... and There's Nobody in It!) sold for $43.2 million at Christie's, reports Bloomberg. It's a record price for Lichtenstein, the late artist who helped launch the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. “People no longer care for financial products,” said one collector. “There’s a lot of doubt. This, you take it home with you.”

Though the auction set 13 records for contemporary art prices, the total of $248 million fell short of estimates. As for that Lichtenstein: It belonged to Courtney Ross, widow of former Time Warner chief Steven Ross, and went to New York dealer Guy Bennett. (And not to Leo DiCaprio, who attended the sale under the cover of baseball cap, notes the New York Times.) The same painting sold for $2.1 million in 1988.

In this photo provided by Christie’s Auction House, a 1961 painting by the late Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein, entitled; “I Can See the Whole Room!…and There's Nobody in It!” is shown. (AP Photo/Christie’s Auction House)

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Showing 3 of 18 comments

David-Barsalou

Nov 12, 2011 9:17 PM CST

I CAN SEE THE WHOLE ROOM… AND THERE’S NOBODY IN IT ! Original Source Image - Artist William Overgard 1961 COPIED BY ROY LICHTENSTEIN IN 1961 http://www.flickr.com/photos/deconstructing-roy-lichtenstein/6259392311/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/deconstructing-roy-lichtenstein/46915622/in/photostream Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein David Barsalou MFA http://www.flickr.com/photos/deconstructing-roy-lichtenstein/

MDD

Nov 10, 2011 6:52 AM CST

Stupid people still have (had) a little money left....I guess they ran out of John Lennon teeth.

HappyHabenero

Nov 10, 2011 4:16 AM CST

I would rather look at enhanced Hubble images.

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Lichtenstein Painting Fetches $43M

It's a record for the late pop artist

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

contemporary art • Christie's • art auction • Roy Lichtenstein

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