Friday, October 24, 2008

Portrait of a Lady, Age 62 - Rembrandt

Price in US $ - 28,700,000


The work dates from Rembrandt's early career in Amsterdam. It is a truly magnificent portrait, painted with love and sympathy. Rembrandt shows there can be great beauty in a portrait of a woman of 62.

According to Mr. Noortman, the present owner of the painting, “You can tell that the woman in this painting must have been someone Rembrandt really liked, because it is so intimate. There is such feeling in it that you fall in love with the old lady just looking at it. I fell in love with her even though she's meant to be 62 - and my wife didn't even mind.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Rideau, cruchon et compotier - Paul Cezanne

Price in US $ - 60,500,000

Paul Cezanne
Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier was created around 1893 - 94 by French artist Paul Cezanne. The painting is considered as the most expensive painting based on still life theme.

Paul Cezanne was a great post-impressionist French artist. It is believed that Cezanne's artworks laid the foundation of the alteration to move from the 19th century traditional art world to 20th century new style of work. Thus, Cezanne formed a bridge between the late 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new artistic world, Cubism.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Portrait De l'artiste Sans Barbe - Vincent van Gogh

Price in US $ - 71,500,000

van gogh
Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe was one of many self portraits by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Though Van Gogh created many self portraits, this was an uncommon one, for the artist portrayed himself without beard, whereas in many other self portraits he has painted himself as a bearded man. All the self portraits of the artist were executed in Saint-Remy showing the artist's head from the left, i.e. the side with ear not mutilated.

Le Rêve - Picasso

Price in US $ - 60,000,000

picasso
Le Rêve (The Dream in French) is a 1932 oil painting belonging to Picasso's period of distorted depictions, with its oversimplified outlines and contrasted colors resembling early Fauvism. The erotic content of the painting has been noted repeatedly, with critics pointing out that Picasso painted an erect penis, presumably symbolizing his own, in the upturned face of his model.

Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto - Pablo Picasso

Price in US $ - 29,100,000

picasso
The Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto, also known as The Absinthe Drinker, is a famous example of Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period. It depicts the intense features and gaze of the artist’s close friend de Soto, who is seated at a café. For a short while Picasso and de Soto shared a studio, and they remained close friends until 1938 – the tragic year when de Soto was killed in the Spanish Civil War.