Art Continues to Buck Ragged Economy

Christie's auction of contemporary art in New York belied an economic downturn, the Times reports, with paintings, sculpture, and even a house fetching handsome prices. Two works drew particular attention: a portrait of a 280-pound nude woman by Lucian Freud, which sold for $33.6 million, and a house in Palm Springs by Richard Neutra, which fetched $16.8 million.

The most expensive lot of the night was a Mark Rothko that hit $50 million, but artists from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol to Jeff Koons brought big bank. Most of the collectors in the Rockefeller Center showroom were Americans, although the auction house also reported a strong Russian presence. "The market is defying gravity," said mega-collector Eli Broad. (More art market stories.)