Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints

Christie’s Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints on Wednesday 20 March realised £5,631,700 /$8,498,235 / €6,577,825, selling 82% by lot and 94% by value.

The top lot was Edvard Munch (1863–1944), Young Woman on the Beach, which sold for £2,133,875/$3,220,017/€2,492,366, setting a new world auction record for a print by the artist.

Tim Schmelcher, Head of the Prints department, London and Murray Macaulay, Head of Prints Sale London: “This was a great and lively sale, highlighted by Edvard Munch, ‘Young Woman on the Beach’, an extremely rare colour aquatint from the historic collection of Curt Glaser, which established a new world record price at auction for a print by the artist, with an outstanding result of £2,133,875. This result confirms an entirely new level of value for the most important and sought-after prints, joining the ranks of the four most expensive printed works at auction - all sold at Christie’s within the last two years. We are also thrilled that Edvard Munch’s ‘Young Woman on the Beach’ will be included in a major exhibition of the artist’s printed oeuvre, opening at the Kunsthaus Zurich in October this year. Furthermore, the sale saw strong demand throughout with many private collectors from around the world competing fiercely for works by Matisse, Miró, Chagall, Picasso and Morandi, amongst others.  Prints by the Masters of Pop, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, continued to perform well. We look forward to our sales of Prints and Multiples in South Kensington on 10 April and in New York on 30 April and 1 May 2013.”