Basel buyers bring back art boom
- June 19, 2011 21:23
Top-dollar works by Mark Rothko, Maurizio Cattelan, and Anish Kapoor were among the sales from Art Basel's $1.7 billion worth of 20th-21st century art. The annual Swiss pilgrimage of art world VIPs closed with exhibitors comparing the five-day fair to the pre-2008 art boom.
According to Bloomberg, anonymous dealers stated Gagosian sold $45 million of art in the first 15 minutes of the fair, including Cattelan's "Frank and Jamie," a wax work of two upside-down New York policemen, for a reported $3 million.
![Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), After Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) (Italian [Venetian], c. 1488–1576), Rape of Europa, 1628–29. Oil on canvas, 71 7/8 x 79 3/8 in.](/images/c/e2/2e/Jan20_Rape_of_Europa100x100_c.jpg "Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), After Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) (Italian [Venetian], c. 1488–1576), Rape of Europa, 1628–29. Oil on canvas, 71 7/8 x 79 3/8 in.")
100x100_c.jpg "Diquis/Chiriqui pendant depicting two figures within a framework of linked gold rectangles, 22K gold, Costa Rica, weight 129.6g. Estimate $7,000-$8,000")
