Tête (sculpture)

''Tête'' is a limestone sculpture by Amedeo Modigliani and is amongst the most expensive works of art ever sold. In 2010 an anonymous telephone bidder purchased ''Tête'' for €43.2 million at Christie's in Paris. The sale was a record at a French auction and placed the sculpture amongst the most expensive ever sold. An anonymous telephone bidder won the auction. Since 1927 the piece had been in the collection of Gaston Lévy, an artist and acquaintance of Modigliani.

Description

''Tête'' is one of 27 known sculptures by Modigliani and was made between 1910 and 1912.Release: Tête - Amedeo Modigliani
Press Release, Christie's Paris. 26 May 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011. The limestone head stands over 2 feet tallReyburn, Scott
Modigliani Sculpture Fetches 43.2 Million Euros, French Record
''Bloomberg''. 14 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011. and depicts the head of a woman wearing a tribal mask with her hair swept back.Crow, Kelly
Christie's Sells Modigliani for $52.6 Million
''The Wall Street Journal''. 14 June 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011. It was first exhibited at the 1912 Salon d'Automne (Autumn Salon).Post Sale Report: Tête (1910-1912) – Amedeo Modigliani
Press Release, Christie's Paris. 14 June 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011.

In the creation of ''Tête'', Modigliani was clearly inspired by the geometric designs of African sculpture and the simplification of form evident in the work of his mentor Constantin Brâncuși. Auction house Christie's described the piece in an announcement press release as: "Pared-down to a series of simple geometric forms, rigidly frontal and rigorously symmetrical, Tête emanates a feeling of haunting mystery."

Auction

After the decision was made to sell ''Tête'' the piece was exhibited in New York, gaining many admirers and increasing interest in the auction. This was seen as a contributing factor in the unexpectedly high sale price.

The Impressionist and Modern Art auction was held on 14 June 2010 and led by François de Ricqlès, the president of Christie's France. The event began with a 24-piece collection owned by Gaston Lévy,Modigliani's €43.2m Tête sets a World Record price for the artist
Paul Fraser Collectibles. Accessed 20 October 2011. co-founder of what would become the French supermarket chain Monoprix. Lévy, himself a keen artist, was an acquaintance of Modigliani, and purchased the ''Tête'' sculpture in 1927.Gallery Talk: Amedeo Modigliani’s Tête
Christie's. 7 June 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.

Around 20 bidders, most of whom were not present at the auction and instead phoned in their bid, competed for the piece in the opening ten minutes. The expected price of €4m–€6m was quickly surpassed and towards the end only four bidders remained. The winning bidder, who remained anonymous, paid €43,185,000 (£35,886,735, $52,620,923), the highest price for any work of art sold in France and one of the highest paid for a sculpture in the world.Fernández, G
Most Expensive Sculptures Ever Sold
''theartwolf.com''. November 2010. Accessed 19 October 2011.

See also

* Paintings by Amedeo Modigliani
*List of most expensive sculptures

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tete
1912 sculptures
Limestone statues
Sculptures by Amedeo Modigliani