Bacon self portrait studies sell for $34.5 M

Tag : Painter's Set

LONDON— A rare set of three works by painter Francis Bacon was sold Mondayby Christie's auction house for $34.5 million.
Bacon painted the "Three Studies for a Self Portrait" in Paris in1975. It is the first of a series of self portraits he paintedaround that time. It was bought by an unnamed buyer in 1976 and hassince never been seen in public.
A sculpture called "Balloon Flower Magenta" by Jeff Koon also soldfor $25.8 million. It is the highest price Koon has ever receivedat auction. Lucian Freud's "Naked Portrait With Reflection" soldfor $23.5 million at the same sale.
Christie's director of postwar and contemporary art, Pilar Ordobas,said the prices illustrate the continued confidence in the globalart market.