Record-Breaking Bidding Battle Hits $28.5 Million for Leonora Carrington Surrealist Masterpiece

After an emotional bidding battle between many passionate bidders, Leonora Carrington's 1945 Surrealist masterpiece 'Les Distractions de Dagobert' finally sold to applause for a record-breaking $28.5 million in the Modern Evening Auction at Sotheby's New York. Tonight’s sale makes Carrington the fourth-highest selling Surrealist artist of all time and the fifth-highest selling woman artist of any era.
“I was the underbidder 30 years ago for this picture," said the new owner. "And I didn’t want to miss it this time.”
The appearance of 'Les Distractions de Dagobert' at public auction for the first time in three decades heralds the turn of a new page in art and auction history.
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[@corgeousgeorge]

Nice. I like how the auctioneer gave the person in the room the benefit of the doubt and not wasting any more time. Sometimes it pays to have something done in person, on site.

[@javskrew5841]

The fact that in 1945 she was 28 and pregnant when she was creating this painting is a +

[@sjwilloughby-greene8214]

I am homeless and I can see the beauty and the investment in art. ✌️

[@liasisboa]

Prayers for you🙏❤️🙏. Keep focused on beauty and hold on to your positive attitude. Things will get better.

[@MichaelChengSanJose]

Each bid increment of $1M is enough to set up a person for life. The price of bragging rights among the super rich.

[@ajadegirl]

say whatever u want to say, its all just noise to him :)

[@keycuz]

Looks like a Bosch study

[@dongiogarciasantiago2864]

0145 Sat 18/05/24
..just saw video interview of buyer constantini posted by sotheby's...amazing story of love of art paintings...well done for waiting 30 years to try your luck again and win the bid this time...great story...

[@rosannekatonwalden1620]

This painting was found on an Antiques Road Show!

[@Joseph-fq6hm]

Love it!

[@agnesf2659]

Comparing to those rich but stingy to their employees while showing off their lavish vacations all the time, these ultra rich who understand and collect art works are much more appreciated.

[@aadilghanchi4927]

Very nice

[@jlasf]

I have an odd reaction watching this: there should be a revolution. I am rich, but seeing people so casually tossing around millions for a single painting to hang on a wall when most people scrape by living paycheck to paycheck. It seems obscene.

[@k.y.6148]

If it's any consolation, most art at this level is being purchased by consortiums or museums for public display. I look at it that, rather than hoarding their money, it puts this money back in play for many other people to benefit. And if you are a billionaire, why not share the wealth?

[@jlasf]

@@k.y.6148 Possible. But I have walked into the house of a friend and seen a $10M Warhol on the wall. So there's that....

[@liasisboa]

I share your reaction. I am not rich, but I’m generally a believer in free market capitalism… so when I watch paintings go for many millions I feel conflicted. I know it’s simply a market functioning, and yet it does seem, as you said, obscene. I guess the downside of capitalism is that it does produce obscenities: athletes making 50 mil/year, Jeff Bezos’s ridiculously excessive yacht, 30,000 sq. ft. houses… and 20 million dollar art. The sad reality.

[@jlasf]

@@liasisboa It's also the scale/speed of the bidding: in $1M increments! One loses perspective of what $1,000,000 means and how much that could change people's lives.

[@liasisboa]

@@jlasf You’re right - something I hadn’t thought of but it is the pace of increments that seems so unreal.

[@S_Edward_Burns_ArtsEditor]

Worth every million. #SothebysMatter

[@rsybing]

I read the negative comments and think we want to value art but we become disgusted when people pay for art. Perhaps we should pick a lane.

[@CountDankula0]

its stunning, so much going on in this painting

[@vox95831]

Pleased to see a female artist fetching such high prices. I love this painting by Leonara.

[@tipsysmichigander6483]

Many female artist paintings sell for high prices... What would be nice is if the family of said artist received some sort of compensation for their families art that is being sold and resold and resold and resold...

[@guillem4630]

¡Bien Eduardo!

[@angelchen5480]

現場的買走了，厲害😂😂😂

[@lomein9320]

Curious if the auctioneer makes a commission as they really do an amazing job of trickling up the price tag ?

[@paulgilliland2992]

It’s strange watching the way that millions are spent here. Keep in mind that add another 25% for Christie’s and that’s the total .

[@mattbrehe9781]

this is sotheby's and they recently revamped their premium structure to be 20% up to 6 million and 10% after that.

[@wacamole76]

why does the description say 28.5 and the auctioneer says 24.5??

[@shreeragaviagencies6649]

Thats the tax and auctioneer fees

[@dongiogarciasantiago2864]

n commission

[@aaronxalapa]

Finally

[@dodgygoose3054]

Holy damn....

[@MyLifeInDallas]

My bid 24 million and a penny! 😂

[@dongiogarciasantiago2864]

1148 Tue 21/05/24
BREAKING NEWS....christies brought back social commentary online...and realised sotheby's doing better on viewing ratings and PR, Publicity, People Person Skills..🇬🇧❤️🇬🇧..well done sotheby for being ahead of the game...💪👍❤️🇬🇧

[@1hayes1]

Art auctions always seem to me to be the way really rich people show that they hate each other.

[@mantronixtube]

24?

[@jacobohernandez6343]

Hola cordiales saludos . porque no contestan .

[@tinorodriguez3473]

Soo sad that she never got this money when she was alive and could have used that amount of cash to further her Art career : (

[@davidhunternyc1]

This sale was clearly THE story of the 2024 auction season. It was nail biting. Sell prices are about supply and demand. Like real estate, manipulation in the art market does exist but this is not the case with Leonora Carrington. Her accolades have been a long time coming. "Women surrealists" are in vogue and Carrington is leading the charge. Respectfully, I bow, but she is not the best of this school. Carrington's Bosch-like subject matter is discussed extensively. What isn't discussed is Carrington's lack of compositional skills, coloration, and the collapsing of negative space, as if these skills don't matter. Among this noise, there is nowhere for the eye to rest. This observation is not a critique. It's a matter of fact and not my preference. Carrington's vision is free flowing, not bound by traditional norms of artistic excellence. Some critics say Carrington is an amateur, others a genius. Pick your poison, Chopin's Nocturnes or Tool's Aenima? There is another lesser known surrealist in this school, Gertrude Ambercrombie. Her magic is as spellbinding as Carrington's but whose grasp of composition, color, and negative space is as charged as her subject matter. Gertrude Abercrombie's paintings are singular, nightmares in a Ikebana basket.

[@davidschmidt5507]

Admittedly this is not my favorite of Carrington. I think “Minotaur…” is a much better piece and uses negative space in a way that this painting does not

[@davidhunternyc1]

@@davidschmidt5507 Agreed.

[@alfredmashao8071]

Was it sold for $24,5 or $28,5m? I heared $24,5m.

[@davidschmidt5507]

24.5 + fees to the auction house = 28.5

[@dongiogarciasantiago2864]

n commission + VAT TAX

[@gmalda]

Think of all the people you could feed with $28,500,000.00 …………………………..

[@iosefgarcia7499]

#ShothebysHauseInEngland And Hause.

[@roypries2387]

Eat the rich .

[@jacobohernandez6343]

Hola cordiales saludos .bla bla bla

[@weeverob]

applause for merely writing a big check

[@shadowfilm7980]

Not for me. 😬

[@TeacherAri]

The world is insanely unfair 😢This is disgusting 😢