UPI en Español  |   UPI Asia  |   About UPI  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Clapton sells Richter oil for record sum

|
 
Published: Oct. 13, 2012 at 10:53 AM

LONDON, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- An anonymous buyer submitted a record bid in London Friday night for a Gerhard Richter abstract painting owned by rock star Eric Clapton, auctioneers announced.

Clapton sold the 1994 oil "Abstraktes Bild" for 21.3 million pounds ($34.3 million), a record for a Richter and double what art experts had expected it to sell for, Britain's The Daily Telegraph said.

The newspaper said the bidding at Sotheby's was fast and furious, with the winning offer coming in by telephone after 5 minutes.

Richter, who is based in Germany, has been considered the world's greatest living painter since the death of Lucian Freud last year, The Telegraph said.

The previous record for a Richter painting was more than $21.9 million paid in New York for his "Abstract Picture" in May.

Topics: Eric Clapton, Lucian Freud
© 2012 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
'Star Trek Into Darkness' screening NBC upfronts Met Ball 2013
'Great Gatsby' premieres in New York Spire raised on top of One WTC 2013: Celebrity break ups and divorces
Additional Music Stories
1 of 18
Iranians celebrate the qualification of  their soccer team  for 2014 World Cup
View Caption
Iranian women flash the victory sign during a street celebration in Tehran, Iran on June 18, 2013. The Iranian national soccer team defeated South Korea in their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match in Ulsan, South Korea. UPI/Maryam Rahmanian .
fark
After an unwatched stove sparks a fire that burns down a house, naturally the fire marshal blames...
If creative dog grooming is not a crime, then this slideshow is proof that it should be
News: Father and son pimps acquitted. Fark: After prostitutes come to their defense saying they...
FBI busts a "domestic terrorist" and alleged KKK member for plotting to build an atomic death ray...
Torre looks up, gets under it, reaches out, makes the catch and gets the save
Ugly-assed baby liliger born in Russian zoo, for its skills in magic