Sculpture by Romania’s Constantin Brâncuși allegedly estimated at USD 100 million by Christie's New York

A sculpture by Romanian legendary artist Constantin Brâncuși, “Danaida,” has an estimated record sale price of USD 100 million at a May auction to be organized by Christie’s New York, according to artnet.com.

The sculpture, a 1913 bronze head with brown patina and gold leaf, comes from the collection of former media tycoon Samuel Irving Newhouse, who purchased it for USD 18.2 million at Christie’s in 2002, a record for the sculptor at that time.

Christie’s has sold the seven most expensive works by the Romanian modernist sculptor, the most valuable being “La jeune fille sophistiquée” (Portrait of Nancy Cunard), which went for USD 71.2 million in 2018.

Alongside Brâncuși’s sculpture, the sales session reportedly includes 35 to 40 works from the same collection, such as paintings by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and Jasper Johns, according to dealers. In total, the house has valued the artworks at USD 450 million.

Since Newhouse died in 2017, at the age of 89, his estate has sold artworks both privately and at auction, with the help of Tobias Meyer, a former Sotheby’s star auctioneer who was the collector’s art advisor. Shortly after the billionaire’s death, hedge fund manager Ken Griffin bought his Shot Orange Marilyn (1964) for about USD 200 million.

To date, Christie’s has sold more than USD 400 million worth of Newhouse’s art. The priciest lot, Jeff Koons‘s Rabbit (1986), fetched USD 91 million in 2019, the highest price paid at auction for a living artist. The most recent group of 16 works totaled USD 178 million in 2023.

(Photo source: christies.com)