Hopper, de Kooning hit new auction records in New York

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NEW YORK, Nov 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Paintings by Edward Hopper and Willem de Kooning sold for nearly $92 million and $69 million respectively in New York on Tuesday, setting new world record auction prices for each artist, Christie’s said.

The 1929 canvas “Chop Suey” by Hopper, America’s most popular modernist, went for $91.875 million after being valued pre-sale at an estimated $70-100 million.

It was the jewel in the crown of a remarkable collection of 20th century American art amassed by US entrepreneur Barney Ebsworth, who made his fortune in travel and cruises, and who died in April.

The painting easily set a new auction record for the artist — previously $40.4 million paid in 2013 for “East Wind Over Weehawken.”

Christie’s had marketed “Chop Suey” as “the most iconic painting by Hopper left in private hands” and the price tag chalked up a whopping profit on the $180,000 Ebsworth paid for the work in 1973.

De Kooning’s 1955 “Woman as Landscape” sold for $68.9 million, having been valued pre-sale at $60-90 million, and also set a new record at auction for the Dutch-born abstract expressionist, Christie’s said.

It eclipsed the $66.3 million paid for his 1977 “Untitled XXV” in November 2016.

The auction house had valued the entire Ebsworth collection, which is being offered for sale this week, at around $350 million.

The single most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction was the eye-watering $450.3 million paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” last year at Christie’s in New York.