Monday, January 18, 2016

Wilfredo Lam at Auction

Christie’s The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale on Tuesday 2 February 2016 

 


Infused with a sense of drama and mystery, Chant de la Forêt by Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) captures the dark and enigmatic power of the Cuban landscape and stimulates the imagination in its suggestion of the presence of unseen forces, hidden in the depths of the forest (estimate: £1.3-1.8 million). Fusing vegetative forms with sharply angled shapes, the artist creates a hybrid creature, part animal, part plant and part mystical being. Its hybridity simultaneously referencing Surrealist thought, the indigenous landscape of Lam’s homeland, and the unique elements of the Afro-Cuban culture which survived there. Painted in 1946, Chant de la Forêt was created following Lam’s return to Cuba after almost two decades living in Europe. This homecoming prompted an extraordinary breakthrough in the artist’s work, as he reconnected with his cultural roots. Hinting at a presence beyond the conscious world, this work elegantly fuses the unique spiritual elements of the Cuban culture with its distinctively lush landscapes to achieve a bold new approach to Surrealism.

Christie’s  2013

Price Realized

$845,000 

Christie’s  2010


 

Wifredo Lam (Cuban 1902-1982)

Untitled

Price Realized
$50,000

 

Sotheby's 2015




Estimate1,000,0001,500,000
LOT SOLD. 1,210,000 USD




Estimate 500,000700,000
LOT SOLD. 610,000 USD




Estimate 200,000300,000
LOT SOLD. 363,000 EUR




Estimate 800,0001,200,000 USD





Estimate
600,000800,000 USD


Sotheby's 2014





Estimate 600,000800,000
LOT SOLD. 725,000 USD





Estimation 200,000300,000
Lot. Vendu 695,000 USD