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Modigliani sells for US$157 million, and it’s only fourth most expensive art piece ever sold

Italian painter’s masterpiece was the star lot of May auction season in New York

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Kevin Ching, chief executive officer of Sotheby’s Asia, at a presentation in Hong Kong of Amedeo Modigliani's painting Nu Couché (sur le coté gauche) ahead of its sale at Sotheby’s in New York for US$157 million. Photo: Nora Tam
Agence France-Presse

A stunning nude that is the largest painting produced by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani sold for US$157.2 million in New York, becoming the fourth most expensive work of art sold at auction.

Painted a century ago, Modigliani’s masterpiece Nu couché (sur le coté gauche) fetched the highest price in Sotheby’s history and was the star single lot in the May art auction season in New York.

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Modigliani follows Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso as the third highest-selling artist at auction. Monday’s sale failed to eclipse the US$170.4 million paid for another Modigliani reclining nude, Nu Couché (1917-18), at Christie’s in 2015 by Chinese collector Liu Yiqian.
Bid takers stand in front of a video screen showing Amedeo Modigliani's Nu couché, bought at a Christie’s auction in 2015 by Chinese collector Liu Yiqian for US$170.4 million. Photo: AFP
Bid takers stand in front of a video screen showing Amedeo Modigliani's Nu couché, bought at a Christie’s auction in 2015 by Chinese collector Liu Yiqian for US$170.4 million. Photo: AFP
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Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, which was sold for US$450 million at Christie’s in New York last year, remains the most expensive painting ever auctioned. That is followed by Picasso’s Les femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’), which went under the hammer for US$179.3 million, also at Christie’s New York, in 2015.

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