The top price fetched by a Rothko to date is about $22 million. But experts of the hoity and/or toity expect White Centre to go for upwards of $45 million. In fact, rumor has it that Sotheby's has guaranteed Rockefeller a cool $40 million at a minimum.The prize item in Sotheby's New York sale of contemporary art on May 15th is by Mark Rothko, a Latvian-born, American abstract expressionist. David Rockefeller picked up the painting, titled White Centre, for around $10,000 in 1960, and it hung in his outer office when he was chairman of the Chase Manhattan bank. The painting is described by Oliver Barker of Sotheby’s, with barely a trace of exaggeration, as "a masterpiece".
So basically, all I have to do is come up with about $50 million to get my grubby little hands on this modern masterpiece (I figure I'll need a few extra million for bribes and other incidentals).
I'm coming up a little short so far. I've got about 12 bucks. So anyone want to loan me $49,999,988?
tagged: Mark Rothko, art, White Centre, Rockefeller, Sotheby's, auction, culture
Will you take a postdated personal check?
ReplyDeleteI never, never, ever, ever, never will understand modern art.
ReplyDeleteEver.
I mean, that painting IS pretty, sure! But $40 million pretty? Nuh-uh. And *CERTAINLY* not $45 million pretty!
Rich people are stupid, sometimes. (Ok, a lot of times...)
I got a better idea.
ReplyDeleteHow 'bout I paint three stripes on a piece of canvas, you go sell it for $50 miilion and I give you a 10% commission.
Okay, ya hard bargainer! 20%
Yer killin' me!
You should've applied for some TIF funding for it before Funk took over.
ReplyDeleteDanny -- Great idea on the TIFF money, but then I'd have to get in bed with Kay Barnes (shudder) and her crew. Somehow I don't think $50 million would be enough.
ReplyDeleteXO -- If you could sell a painting for $50 million, I'd take a mere 1 percent of it. Lemme know how it goes.
Faith -- The understanding of modern art is what separates the social elite (like myself and Paris Hilton) from the rest of you. Well, that and decades of inbreeding.
The D -- So the check is in the mail?
I'm writing a check out for @ MILLION DOLLARS right now. Go ahead and cash it.
ReplyDelete