Francis Bacon triptych sells for record $142.4 million at Christie’s auction

The Globe and Mail ^ | November 12, 2013 | Chris Michaud

[pluvmantelo]

Francis Bacon’s three-paneled painting “Three Studies of Lucian Freud” became the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction on Tuesday when it soared to $142.4 million at Christie’s.

[pluvmantelo]

I find Bacon's paintings hideous.

[BradyLS]

Fried bacon is always welcome at my table.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Who in the world has that much disposable income?

[pluvmantelo]

Someone who has more money than sense, I reckon.

[wardaddy]

Likely an individual

Few museums as endowed

[BradyLS]

I have no idea. And I’m guessing it will never be worth anything close to that ever again.

Reminds me of the beggar who was selling a pencil for a million bucks.

“A million dollars??? Who’d pay you a million for that?”

“I don’t know. But I only have to sell ONE!”

[MaxMax]

For only 30k a penis enlargement would be just as good for the ego.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Russian or Chinese billionaire? Michelle Obama?

[Cowboy Bob]

Damn! And to think...I dropped out of the bidding at $141 million! With the money I saved through ObamaCare, I could have afforded it... /sarc

[21twelve]

A triptych? I think I have one still from my trip to Yellowstone years ago. They don’t even make them anymore I don’t think. I’ll have to try to find it. I didn’t think they were worth anything, but....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Don’t ever say “they don’t even make them anymore” about pretty much anything. Even in the smallish city of Des Moines, Iowa, when I was making employer visits as a veteran’s rep. I was always running into little, off-the-wall esoteric shops making and selling just about anything you can dream of, from wild artwork, pottery, sculpture and lord knows what to things I didn’t even know existed. I can’t even imagine what New York City, Toronto, Dallas, San Francisco, LA and Miami might house.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Wonder if the original “Dale Earnhardt Sr. On Black Velvet” will be worth that someday.

[Moltke]

A joke on TripTik, I presume. (Those travel guides the AAA used to sell.)

[Uncle Chip]

That’s a lot to pay for a slab of Bacon.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks pluvmantelo.

[flaglady47]

Well, that’s one painting a rich Arab won’t buy.

[Fresh Wind]

Some sheik in Sandlandia.

[Bigg Red]

Who in the world has that much disposable income?

***
I wondered the same thing. Went to the link and had my suspicions confirmed when I read that there are deep-pocketed collectors from Russia, Asia, and the Middle East looking for trophy collections.