Surrealist auction sets a record
A controversial auction of Surrealist artworks collected by poet Andre Breton has smashed pre-sale estimates to bring in $50 million.
Auctioneers CalmelsCohen had predicted its 10-day sale of 5,500 objects would fetch $32.6 million. But it said Friday that the sale of paintings alone -- including works by Magritte and Miro -- tallied $28.3 million.
Protesters had let off stink bombs and fired insults at collectors they accused of picking over the poet’s bones. The protesters said the collection should have been kept together and accused the French state of neglecting its duty.
The state stepped in to buy some of the most expensive items, spending $13 million, excluding expenses, to buy works for 33 museums across France.
From Reuters
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