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New York (AFP) – A sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons was sold Wednesday for $ 91.1 million at an auction organized by Christie's in New York – a prize record for a living artist.
"Rabbit", a stainless steel cast of an inflatable bunny, exceeded the previous record set by the portrait of British painter David Hockney, "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)", sold in last November at Christie's for $ 90.3 million.
It was a return to the top for Koons, whose "Balloon Dog (Orange)" for five years held the record for the highest auction price for an artist living after its sale in 2013 for $ 58.4 million.
The selling price of "Rabbit" was only $ 80 million, but once commissions and fees were added, the final total amounted to $ 91.075 million.
In an unusual twist for an art auction at this price range, the "Rabbit" buyer was actually in the room at the time of the sale.
Produced by Koons in 1986, "Rabbit" is one of the artist's best-known works, which has built a reputation for challenging the conventions of the art world.
At 41 inches (1.04 meters) tall, the character was auctioned off from the collection of deceased publishing tycoons S.I. Newhouse.
Before his death in 2017, his empire included Conde Nast, who ran magazines like Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair.
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