Paris: A monumental painting by Nicolas de Stael was sold for 20 million euros (Dh81.7 million) at Christie’s auction on Thursday, in what could be the most paid for a painting of a football match.
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It was certainly the highest price obtained for a painting by the French artist of Russian origin who died in 1955 at the age of 41.
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“Parc des Princes”, painted in 1952, was estimated to be worth between 18 and 25 million euros and was on the market for the first time.
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The piece was owned by the artist’s family and was exhibited only a handful of times.
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Between 1953 to 2003 it was displayed in New York, various galleries in Paris, such as the Pompidou Centre, as well as in London and Madrid.
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The painting, which features a rich array of colours from teal to bright white, depicts an international friendly match between Sweden and France in 1952 during a golden generation of French football players.
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Parc des Princes is the name of a stadium that has since been replaced and now hosts the Paris Saint-Germain club.
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Christie’s said the picture represents “the height of Nicolas de Stael’s art, as well as a decisive moment in the history of post-war Western art”.
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Other avant-garde artists and masterpieces from the 20th century were also up for grabs at the Christie’s auction in Paris.
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Works by Rene Magritte, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Yves Klein, Serge Poliakoff, Paul Klee, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Dubuffet and Joan Miro were all being auctioned.
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