Nude paint sells for $157m at New York auction
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bidding was restrained lasting three to four minutes and opening at 125 million before auctioneer helena newman brought the hammer down at 139 million. the final price includes a buyers premium1 a stunning nude paint that is the largest produced by italian artist amedeo modigliani sold for 157.2 million in new york on monday night becoming the fourth most expensive work of art sold at auction1 modigliani follows leonardo da vinci and pablo picasso as the third highest-selling artist at auction. mondays sale failed to eclipse the 170.4 million paid for another modigliani nude at christies in 20151 nearly 58 inches 147 centimeters wide the picture was the cover star of a recent retrospective at the tate modern gallery in london1 modigliani reinvented the nude for the modern era and when his series of paintings were first exhibited in 1917 they were considered so shocking that police closed the show in paris1 painted a century ago modiglianis masterpiece nu couche sur le cote gauche fetched the highest price in sothebys history and was the star single lot in the may art auction season in new york1 the price chalks up a healthy profit for its seller who acquired the picture in 2003 for 26.9 million1 modigliani completed 22 reclining nudes and 13 seated nudes between 1916 and 1919. most of the former are found in museums such as the museum of modern art and the metropolitan museum of art in new york1 simon shaw co-head of impressionist and modern art at sothebys said the painting sold monday while rooted in tradition reflected the changing status of women during world war i1 this is a nude of a very self-possessed sexually confident woman who is not looking out from a distance. shes absolutely meeting our gaze he told afp prior to the sale1 modiglianis dealer leopold zborowski gave him a stipend of 15 francs a day and paid the models five francs to pose in a paris apartment1