''Tête'' is a limestone sculpture by

Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (, ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and ...

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 Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. 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
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Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and ma ...

''. 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
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The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

''. 14 June 2010. Accessed 20 October 2011. It was first exhibited at the 1912

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The ...

(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 Most African sculpture was historically in wood and other organic materials that have not survived from earlier than at most a few centuries ago; older pottery figures are found from a number of areas. Masks are important elements in the art of m ...

and the simplification of form evident in the work of his mentor

Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian Sculpture, sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century and a pioneer of ...

. 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 Monoprix S.A. () is a major French retail chain with its headquarters in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, near Paris. The company's stores combine food retailing with fashion, beauty and home products. History The company was founded in 1932 ...

. Lévy, himself a keen artist, was an acquaintance of Modigliani, and purchased the ''Tête'' sculpture in 1927.Gallery Talk: Amedeo Modigliani’s Tête

. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tete (Sculpture) 1912 sculptures Limestone statues Amedeo Modigliani

Description

Auction

See also

References