Swiss art collector’s Warhol sells for record $195 million
All the proceeds from the sale will go to charitable causes.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Andy Warhol’s 1964 “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” has become the most expensive painting from the 20th century ever auctioned. The iconic work previously belonged in the collection of Swiss art dealers Thomas and Doris Ammann.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Español
es
Se vende obra de Warhol por una cifra récord de 195 millones de dólares
The painting, one of a series of portraits Warhol made of the American actress following her death in 1962, was sold by Christie’s auction house for $195 million (CHF193.7 million) in New York on Monday. According to artnetExternal link, the painting was sold after less than four minutes of bidding. It was purchased by the art dealer Larry Gagosian.
The sale broke the previous record for a 20th century painting – Pablo Picasso’s “Women of Algiers”, which was sold in 2015 for $179 million. The absolute record remains Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century work “Salvator Mundi”, which sold at auction in 2017 for $450 million.
Warhol’s painting was until now held by Swiss dealers Thomas and Doris Ammann, siblings who founded a gallery in Zurich in 1977. Thomas died in 1993, and Doris led the gallery until she passed away last year. The Ammanns had bought the painting from Condé Nast mogul and mega-collector Samuel “Si” Newhouse around 40 years ago.
The proceeds from Monday’s sale, which included a total of 36 works from their collection, will go to the Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation, which supports healthcare and education programmes for children. The buyer will also have a say in choosing which charity will be allocated 20% of the “Marilyn” proceeds, Christie’s said on Sunday.
However, the purchase is not considered a charitable donation, and as such it does not come with a tax deduction, Christie’s said.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Swiss army suspends 300-million-euro project for airspace surveillance
This content was published on
The army has suspended the project for two systems for airspace surveillance and fighter jet guidance for months. Parliament approved almost 320 million francs for "Skyview". The reason for the suspension is problems with the integration of the system.
Murdered student: Paris asks Bern to extradite suspect
This content was published on
On Wednesday, France submitted an extradition request to the Swiss authorities for the man suspected of murdering Philippine. This was announced Thursday morning by the French Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud, on BFMTV.
Swiss bearded vulture rare win amid global wildlife catastrophe
This content was published on
The reintroduction of bearded vultures in Switzerland is a rare bright spot amid a global wildlife catastrophe in the last 50 years.
This content was published on
The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) is embarking on a new stage to confront the global public with the scientific challenges of the future.
This content was published on
Valais initially had clearance to shoot one wolf pack, but this has been extended after wolves were found to have killed livestock.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss billionaire’s enforced art collection auction halted
This content was published on
The Swiss courts had previously found Urs Schwarzenbach guilty of evading taxes by illegally importing works of art into the country. The authorities had seized 158 works of art from his collection, including some that were hanging in the prestigious Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich, which the Swiss financier owns. The works, including those by…
Stolen art displayed in Switzerland will go to auction
This content was published on
Looted Nazi art on display at a museum in St Gallen will be handed over to the true owners at the end of this month, and then auctioned at Sotheby's.
This content was published on
Some 70 paintings and drawings by Andy Warhol in the early sixties (1928-1987) will be on view at an exhibition which focuses on the transitional period in Warhol’s oeuvre, demonstrated for example, by his variations on the same picture.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.