David Hockney, known as the “most expensive living artist,” once again broke his personal landscape painting auction record at the Christie’s “20th Century and Contemporary Art” evening auction. His 1980s painting “Nichols Canyon” finally changed hands for a staggering HK$318 million, not only claiming the top spot in the entire event but also becoming a key player in Christie’s New York auction, setting the all-time highest sales record. This achievement has not only set a new high for landscape paintings by this British artist but has also become a hot topic in the art world.
David Hockney is considered one of the most talented and prolific artists of the 21st century, known for his landscape and portrait paintings. In 1978, he moved into a new home in the Nichols Canyon area of Los Angeles, and he, who loves driving, would drive from his residence on the canyon’s hilltop to his studio every day. This landscape masterpiece depicts the daily route he drove.
David Hockney once said, “When you immerse yourself in the canyons of Nichols, your view of Los Angeles will completely change, these winding lines seem to penetrate your memory, turn into inspiration and walk into the painting.”
Due to his unforgettable memories of this painting, he decided to keep it for himself and not sell it at the time. However, shortly after, when he hesitated to purchase a Picasso work at the well-established Claude Bernard gallery in Paris, the renowned André Emmerich gallery in New York immediately bought the Picasso piece that the artist loved in exchange for his “Nikles Canyon” and “Dialogue” paintings. The current collector purchased “Nikles Canyon” at the Emmerich gallery in early 1982 and has kept it ever since.
At the evening auction of Phillips New York, “Nickle Canyon” became one of the focal lots, offered in the form of an “Irrevocable Bid” (IB) to secure a buyer in advance and avoid unsold lots. The auctioneer started the bidding at US$24 million, ultimately selling for US$35.5 million, with the winning bid placed by Cheyenne Westphal, the Global Chairman of Phillips, on behalf of a phone bidder. Phillips presented a total of 35 lots that evening, successfully selling 31, achieving an 89% sales rate, breaking auction records for 5 artists, and generating a total sales figure exceeding HK$1 billion (US$134 million) for the evening, a remarkable achievement.
圖片來源：富藝斯
