London – Myrrh by Bridget Riley (B. 1931) was the top lot at Bonhams 20th/21st Century Art Evening sale yesterday (2 April) at New Bond Street, London. The work, painted in 1985, achieved £1,802,900.
The 15-lot sale made a total of £4,309,650, with 93% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.
Ralph Taylor, Global Head of 20th and 21st Century Art at Bonhams, commented: "The distinctive palette of Bridget Riley's 'Egypt series' paintings make them amongst her most highly sought after works, and so it is no surprise that collectors wanted to own this exceptional piece by one of the greatest living artists."
British artist Bridget Riley is recognised for her lifelong engagement with abstraction and painting reduced to its essentials. She pioneered the Op Art movement in the 1960s, an abstract style which used optical illusions that can give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images or vibrating patterns. In 1981, Riley's colour palette was inspired by the colourful hieroglyphics she saw during a trip to Egypt. She coined the term 'Egyptian Palette' to describe her use of colours, exclaiming that 'the colours are purer and more brilliant than any I had used before'.
At 93 years old, Bridget Riley continues to make art. Her works are in numerous museum collections, including Tate, London, the Nationalgalerie, Berlin, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam amongst others.
Other highlights of the sale included:
• Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), Cradle Tilt (Borealis), Sold for £584,600.
• Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Entrückt. Sold for £209,950.
• Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), Nude, One Arm Down, 177.8 x 228.6 x 20.3cm. (Executed in 1994). Sold for £216,300.
• Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916), Petit léopard marchant. Sold for £406,800.
• Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916), Léopard au repos, ville de Paris, petit modèle. Sold for £216,300.
• Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916), Petite panthère assise. Sold for £222,650.
• Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968), Fleurs. Sold for £165,500.
The sale will be followed by Bonhams 20th/21st Century Art Day sale today at 2pm at New Bond Street, London.
