Van Gogh Painting Sold for $61.8 Million

A Vincent van Gogh painting has been sold in New York for $61.8 million, Associated Press reported.

The painting "Still Life, Vase With Daisies and Poppies" was made by the great Vincent van Gogh in 1890 several weeks before he died. The painting which depicted a bouquet of flowers placed in a vase was painted while the Dutch painter was at the house of his physician, Dr. Paul Gachet.

Earlier, it was estimated that the painting will be sold for $50 million at the auction in Sotheby in Manhattan. 

According to BBC News, a certain "private bidder from Asia" bought the said painting. But a report from The Wall Street Journal revealed who the auction winner was.

The bidder was Chinese movie magnate Wang Zhongjun. Zhongjun reportedly "bid over the phone." Wang, co-founder of Huayi Brothers Media Corp., is considered as "one of the richest men in China." His company has "a market cap of $4.7 billion," larger than that of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. 

Wang Zhongjun himself is also an impressionist painter, the report said. His paintings are being bought by his friends for $65,400 each, Mr. Wang's spokesman told The Wall Street Journal. The proceeds reportedly go to his charity fund.

This auction is a record breaker, it added, as it is considered the "highest auction price for a van Gogh since 1998."

AP said that the Van Gogh was earlier acquired by Museum of Modern Art founder A. Conger Goodyear in 1928. While it was with the Goodyear's, it was exhibited at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. It was then sold to another person in 1990, it added.

Another art piece sold during the auction was the 1951 sculpture "Chariot" made by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti. It was sold for $101 million. AP described the "Chariot" as an "elongated goddess-like figure perched atop a wheeled chariot."

Simon Shaw, co-head at Sotheby's impressionist and modern art, told BBC News that "this ["Chariot"] heroic sculpture is a symbol of renewal following the Second World War."

Also sold during the auction was the sculpture "Tete" made by Amedeo Modigliani. It was sold for $70.7 million. AP said that the sculpture was made in 1911 and 1912.

Meanwhile, BBC News said that a separate auction sale was made at Bonhams. It showcases art pieces from the home of Lauren Bacall.

Some of these pieces are the "Maquette for Mother and Child: Arms" and "Working Model for Reclining Figure: Bone Skirt." The "Maquette for Mother and Child: Arms" was sold for $281,000 while the "Working Model for Reclining Figure: Bone Skirt" was sold for more than $1 million, AP said. Bacall's other jewelry, furniture, and artworks are set to be auctioned in March, it added.