NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Sales of works by Giacometti, Modigliani and Van Gogh contributed to a record-breaking auction at Sotheby's in New York.
The evening brought in $422 million, a record for the 270-year-old Sotheby's. Almost one-quarter of that was the $101 million bid on the telephone for Alberto Giacometti's Chariot.
The bid was slightly below the $104.3 billion paid four years ago for Giacometti's Waling Man I.
Amedeo Modigliani's Head also went to a telephone bidder for $70.7million. The price for the 2-foot stone head is a record for the artist.
Wang Zhongjun, co-founder of Huayi Brothers Media Corp., submitted the winning $55 million telephone bid for Vincent Van Gogh's Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies. Wang, an amateur artist: "http://online.wsj.com/articles/china-movie-mogul-wang-zhongjun-buys-vincent-van-gogh-painting-for-61-8-million-1415180355?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10733299186635963427804580257921506869194.html" target="_blank"} who likes to paint in the impressionist style, will pay a total of $61.8 million.
The sale sets at least two other records -- the highest price paid by a Chinese buyer of western art and the highest ever for a Van Gogh still life. It is also the highest price for a Van Gogh since 1998.
While Sotheby's enjoyed a lucrative evening, 15 of the 73 works in the auction failed to find buyers. There was less competition than expected for some works, including the Giacometti, with only one bidder pursuing it past the $100 million mark.
