The art of sculpture in our time has probably reached its apogee, at least as regards the price and demand for the works of masters. May 12, 2015 at Christie's auction (the largest in the world after Sotheby's auction house) in New York, another price record was broken: the rather controversial sculpture “Man Pointing” by Alberto Giacometti was sold for an incredible amount of $141.3 million! This is almost 40 million more than the previous top lot - another work by this Swiss master, “Walking Man I”.
Sculpture "Pointing Man", 1947
Height: 180 cm
Price: $141.3 million
Place, time of sale: Christie's, May 2015
"Pointing Man" is the most expensive sculpture ever sold at auction. This is one of six similar bronze statues by Giacometti created in 1947. The sculpture, which went under the hammer at Christie's, has been stored in private collection. Its previous owner bought the work in 1970 from American collectors Fred and Florence Olsen. They, in turn, purchased the masterpiece in 1953 from the son of the famous French artist Henri Matisse Pierre. The rest of the "pointing" sculptures are kept in museums around the world, including New York's MoMA and London gallery Tate, and also in private collections.
The lot sold at Christie's differs from others in that Giacometti painted it by hand. The sculptor created the statue in a few hours - between midnight and nine in the morning, he told his biographer. The Swiss master was preparing for his first exhibition in New York in 15 years. “I had already made a plaster cast, but I destroyed it and created it again and again because the foundry workers had to pick it up in the morning. When they got the cast, the plaster was still wet,” he recalled.
The sculptor began depicting thin, highly elongated figures of people, symbolizing loneliness and the precariousness of existence, after the Second World War, during which Giacometti was forced to move from France to Switzerland and settle in Geneva. Giacometti's works are considered among the most expensive on the modern art market. On the eve of the auction, experts estimated the cost of "Pointing Man" at $130 million - higher than the cost of the previous record holder, "Walking Man I" by the same author. The name of the buyer who paid $141.3 million for the sculpture has not been disclosed.
Sculpture "Walking Man I", 1961
Height: 183 cm
Price: $104.3 million
Place, time: Sotheby's, February 2010
"Walking Man I" is considered one of the most recognizable sculptures of the 20th century. The work, along with a portrait of its author, is even depicted on the 100 Swiss francs banknote. In 2010, it appeared at auction for the first time in twenty years - the lot was put up by the German Dresdner Bank AG, which acquired the masterpiece for a corporate collection, but after the takeover of Commerzbank got rid of the art objects. The sellers promised to donate the proceeds from “Walking Man I” to charity.
The sculpture caused a real stir. At least ten candidates competed for her in the hall, but the most high price ended up being offered by an anonymous buyer over the phone. The bidding lasted eight minutes, during which time the starting price of the lot rose five times (and together with commissions - almost six).
Experts from The Wall Street Journal suggested that the anonymous buyer was Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who two years earlier bought a bronze statue of a woman created by Giacometti in 1956. However, Bloomberg later found out that the owner of the statue was Lily Safra, the widow of Brazilian banker Edmond Safra.
Sculpture "For the Love of the Lord", 2007
Dimensions: 17.1 x 12.7 x 19.1 cm
Price: $100 million
Place, time: 2007
The sculpture, made by the famous British artist Damien Hirst from 2 kg of platinum, is a slightly reduced copy of the skull of a 35-year-old European of the 18th century. The diamond slots (8,601 in total) are laser cut, the jaw is made of platinum, and the teeth are real. The skull is crowned with a pink diamond weighing 52.4 carats. The work cost the British artist, famous for his controversial installations using animal corpses in formaldehyde, £14 million.
Hirst claimed that the name of the sculpture was inspired by the words of his mother when she approached him with a question: For the love of God, what are you going to do next? ("For God's sake, what are you doing now?"). For the love of God is a verbatim quote from the First Epistle of John.
In 2007, the skull was exhibited at the White Cube gallery, and the same year it was sold for $100 million (£50 million). Bloomberg and The Washington Post wrote that the group of investors included Damien Hirst himself, as well as Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk. A representative of the White Cube gallery did not comment on the rumors, but reported that the buyers intend to subsequently resell Hirst's work.
Sculpture "Head", 1910-1912
Height: 65 cm
Price: $59.5 million
Place, time: Christie's, June 2010
To work Amedeo Modigliani collectors bargained over the phone, and in the end the sculpture went under the hammer for $59.5 million, which was ten times higher than the starting price. The name of the buyer was not disclosed, but it is known that he is from Italy.
Modigliani did not study sculpture for long - from 1909 to 1913, when the artist returned to painting again, including due to tuberculosis. "Head", sold at Christie's, is part of a collection of seven sculptures "Pillars of Tenderness", which the author exhibited in 1911 in the studio of the Portuguese artist Amadeo de Souza-Cordoso. All works are distinguished by a pronounced oval head, almond-shaped eyes, long, thin nose, small mouth and elongated neck. Experts also draw analogies between the Modigliani sculpture and the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti, which is kept in the city. Egyptian Museum Berlin.
Sculpture "Dog from balloons(orange)", 1994-2000
Dimensions: 307.3 x 363.2 x 114.3 cm
Price: $58 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2013
The stainless steel dog came to auction from the collection of businessman Peter Brant, having previously been in the Museum contemporary art(MoMA) in New York, on the Grand Canal in Venice and at the Palace of Versailles. The pre-sale estimate for the lot, three meters high and weighing a ton, was $55 million. The orange dog is the first of five “air” dogs created American artist. The remaining four sculptures also went to collections, but were sold at a lower price.
Commercial success came to Koons, a former Wall Street broker, in 2007. Then his giant metal installation" Hanging heart"was sold at Sotheby's for $23.6 million. In next year huge purple "Flower of balloon" went to Christie's for $25.8 million. In 2012, the sculpture "Tulips" was sold at Christie's for $33.7 million.
Sculpture of the Lioness of Guennol, circa 3000-2800 BC.
Height: 8.26 cm
Price: $57.1 million
Place, time: Sotheby's, January 2007
Created in Ancient Mesopotamia about 5,000 years ago, the limestone figurine was found in 1931 in Iraq, near Baghdad. There are two holes preserved in the lioness's head for a cord or chain: it was intended to be worn around the neck. Since 1948, the work belonged to the famous American collector Alistair Bradley Martin and was exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. When announcing the decision to sell the sculpture, Martin promised to use the proceeds for charity.
The antique "Lioness" set a record price for sculptures in 2007 at Sotheby's in New York, displacing Picasso's bronze "Head of a Woman" from first place, which was sold less than a month earlier for $29.1 million. The final price for the sculpture exceeded the initial price more than three times. Five buyers took part in the competition for the figurine; the winner of the auction wished to remain anonymous.
Sculpture "Diego's Big Head", 1954
Height: 65 cm
Price: $53.3 million
Place, time: Christie's, May 2010
The bronze sculpture depicts Alberto Giacometti's younger brother Diego, who was the Swiss master's favorite model. There are several “Heads”; the last of the series was sold at Sotheby’s in 2013 for $50 million. “Diego’s Big Head” was cast for installation on a street square in New York; due to the death of the author, work on it was suspended. Estimate of the sculpture , which went under the hammer at Christie's, was $25-35 million.
Giacometti is in the top 10 most dear artists world since 2002, after the sale of several works by the artist at Christie’s. The most expensive figurine sold then was the third of eight copies of the “Cage” sculpture - it was valued at $1.5 million. However, 2010 became a landmark year for the artist, when Giacometti's works began to be valued at the level of Picasso's paintings.
Sculpture "Nude" female figure from the back IV", 1958
Height: 183 cm
Price: $48.8 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2010
Experts call the bronze bas-relief “Nude female figure from the back IV” the most striking of the four works of the series “Standing with her back to the viewer”, and the entire series - greatest creation modernist sculpture of the twentieth century.
Until 2010, none of the sculptures from this cycle were put up for auction, although the bas-relief sold at Christie's is not the only one: a plaster cast for each series was cast in 12 copies at once. The height of one figure is 183 cm, weight - more than 270 kg Now the complete series of “Standing with His Back to the Viewer” are stored in nine leading museums in the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in. Tate gallery in London and at the Pompidou Center in Paris. There were only two copies left in private collections, one of which was auctioned.
"Female Nude from the Back IV" was originally estimated at $25-35 million, and the amount paid for it was a record for a Matisse work ever sold at auction.
Sculpture "Madame L.R.", 1914-1917
Price: $37.2 million
Place, time: Christie's, February 2009
Legendary sculptor Romanian origin gained worldwide fame in Paris, where he lived for 35 years. His work had a great influence on the development modern sculpture, Brancusi has been called the founder of sculptural abstraction. The Pompidou Center has had a separate “Brancusi Room” since its inception.
Wooden figurine of Madame L.R. was created by Brancusi in 1914-1917. This is one of his most famous works. It is believed that "Madame L.R." conveys the traditional style of Carpathian carving and the influence of African art on the author’s work. The sculpture was sold in 2009 at Christie's as part of the art collection of French couturier Yves Saint Laurent.
Sculpture "Tulips", 1995-2004
Price: $33.7 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2012
“The numbers on the price tag sometimes seem astronomical to me. But people pay such sums because they dream of joining the art process. Their right,” Jeff Koons reasoned in an interview with Interview magazine after his “Tulips” were sold for $33. 7 million Koons is called the most successful American artist after Warhol.
“Tulips” are one of the most complex and large sculptures from the Holiday series (in apparent weightlessness they weigh more than three tons). This is a bouquet of seven intertwined “balloon” flowers, made of stainless steel and coated with translucent paint.
The sculpture, which according to the author’s intention reveals the concept of childhood innocence, was bought in 2012 by one of the most extravagant heroes of Las Vegas, casino owner and billionaire Steve Wynn. He decided to showcase this acquisition at Wynn Las Vegas: the businessman adheres to the idea of "public art" and often displays items from his collection at the resorts he owns.
The art of sculpture in our time has probably reached its apogee, at least as regards the price and demand for the works of masters. On May 12, 2015, at Christie's auction (the world's largest auction house after Sotheby's) in New York, another price record was broken: the rather controversial sculpture "Man Pointing" by Alberto Giacometti was sold for an incredible the amount of 141.3 million dollars! This is almost 40 million more than the previous top lot - another work by this Swiss master, “Walking Man I”.
Sculpture "Pointing Man", 1947
Author: Alberto Giacometti
Height: 180 cm
Price: $141.3 million
Place, time of sale: Christie's, May 2015
"Pointing Man" is the most expensive sculpture ever sold at auction. This is one of six similar bronze statues by Giacometti created in 1947. The sculpture, which went under the hammer at Christie's, has been kept in a private collection for the last 45 years. Its former owner bought the work from American collectors Fred and Florence Olsen in 1970. They, in turn, purchased the masterpiece in 1953 from the son of the famous French artist Henri Matisse Pierre. The remaining "pointing" sculptures are kept in museums around the world, including New York's MoMA and London's Tate Gallery, as well as in private collections.
The lot sold at Christie's differs from others in that Giacometti painted it by hand. The sculptor created the statue in a few hours - between midnight and nine in the morning, he told his biographer. The Swiss master was preparing for his first exhibition in New York in 15 years. “I had already made a plaster cast, but I destroyed it and created it again and again because the foundry workers had to pick it up in the morning. When they got the cast, the plaster was still wet,” he recalled.
The sculptor began depicting thin, highly elongated figures of people, symbolizing loneliness and the precariousness of existence, after the Second World War, during which Giacometti was forced to move from France to Switzerland and settle in Geneva. Giacometti's works are considered among the most expensive on the modern art market. On the eve of the auction, experts estimated the cost of "Pointing Man" at $130 million - higher than the cost of the previous record holder, "Walking Man I" by the same author. The name of the buyer who paid $141.3 million for the sculpture has not been disclosed.
Sculpture "Walking Man I", 1961 
Author: Alberto Giacometti
Height: 183 cm
Price: $104.3 million
Place, time: Sotheby's, February 2010
"Walking Man I" is considered one of the most recognizable sculptures of the 20th century. The work, along with a portrait of its author, is even depicted on the 100 Swiss francs banknote. In 2010, it appeared at auction for the first time in twenty years - the lot was put up by the German Dresdner Bank AG, which acquired the masterpiece for a corporate collection, but after the takeover of Commerzbank got rid of the art objects. The sellers promised to donate the proceeds from “Walking Man I” to charity.
The sculpture caused a real stir. At least ten contenders competed for it in the hall, but the highest price was eventually offered by an anonymous buyer over the phone. The bidding lasted eight minutes, during which time the starting price of the lot rose five times (and, together with commissions, almost six).
Experts from The Wall Street Journal suggested that the anonymous buyer was Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who two years earlier bought a bronze statue of a woman created by Giacometti in 1956. However, Bloomberg later found out that the owner of the statue was Lily Safra, the widow of Brazilian banker Edmond Safra.
Sculpture "For the Love of the Lord", 2007 
Author: Damien Hirst
Dimensions: 17.1 x 12.7 x 19.1 cm
Price: $100 million
Place, time: 2007
The sculpture, made by the famous British artist Damien Hirst from 2 kg of platinum, is a slightly reduced copy of the skull of a 35-year-old European of the 18th century. The diamond slots (8,601 in total) are laser cut, the jaw is made of platinum, and the teeth are real. The skull is crowned with a pink diamond weighing 52.4 carats. The work cost the British artist, famous for his controversial installations using animal corpses in formaldehyde, £14 million.
Hirst claimed that the name of the sculpture was inspired by the words of his mother when she asked him: For the love of God, what are you going to do next? ("For God's sake, what are you doing now?"). For the love of God is a verbatim quote from the First Epistle of John.
In 2007, the skull was exhibited at the White Cube gallery, and the same year it was sold for $100 million (£50 million). Bloomberg and The Washington Post wrote that the group of investors included Damien Hirst himself, as well as Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk. A representative of the White Cube gallery did not comment on the rumors, but reported that the buyers intend to subsequently resell Hirst's work.
Sculpture "Head", 1910-1912 
Author: Amedeo Modigliani
Height: 65 cm
Price: $59.5 million
Place, time: Christie's, June 2010
Collectors bid over the phone for the work of Amedeo Modigliani, and the sculpture was eventually auctioned off for $59.5 million, which was ten times higher than the starting price. The name of the buyer was not disclosed, but it is known that he is from Italy.
Modigliani did not study sculpture for long - from 1909 to 1913, when the artist returned to painting again, including due to tuberculosis. "Head", sold at Christie's, is part of a collection of seven sculptures "Pillars of Tenderness", which the author exhibited in 1911 in the studio of the Portuguese artist Amadeo de Souza-Cordoso. All works are distinguished by a pronounced oval head, almond-shaped eyes, long, thin nose, small mouth and elongated neck. Experts also draw analogies between Modigliani's sculpture and the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti, which is kept in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin.
Sculpture "Balloon Dog (orange)", 1994-2000 
Author: Jeff Koons
Dimensions: 307.3 x 363.2 x 114.3 cm
Price: $58 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2013
The stainless steel dog came to auction from the collection of businessman Peter Brant, having previously visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Grand Canal in Venice and the Palace of Versailles. The pre-sale estimate for the lot, three meters high and weighing a ton, was $55 million. The orange dog is the first of five “airy” dogs created by the American artist. The remaining four sculptures also went to collections, but were sold at a lower price.
Commercial success came to Koons, a former Wall Street broker, in 2007. Then his giant metal installation “Hanging Heart” was sold at Sotheby’s for $23.6 million. The following year, the huge purple “Balloon Flower” went to Christie’s for $25.8 million. In 2012, the sculpture “Tulips” "was sold at Christie's for $33.7 million.
"Lioness of Guennola" sculpture, circa 3000–2800 BC. 
Author unknown
Height: 8.26 cm
Price: $57.1 million
Place, time: Sotheby's, January 2007
Created in Ancient Mesopotamia about 5,000 years ago, the limestone figurine was found in 1931 in Iraq, near Baghdad. There are two holes preserved in the lioness's head for a cord or chain: it was intended to be worn around the neck. Since 1948, the work belonged to the famous American collector Alistair Bradley Martin and was exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. When announcing the decision to sell the sculpture, Martin promised to use the proceeds for charity.
The antique "Lioness" set a record price for sculptures in 2007 at Sotheby's in New York, displacing Picasso's bronze "Head of a Woman" from first place, which was sold less than a month earlier for $29.1 million. The final price for the sculpture exceeded the initial price more than three times. Five buyers took part in the competition for the figurine; the winner of the auction wished to remain anonymous.
Sculpture "Diego's Big Head", 1954 
Author: Alberto Giacometti
Height: 65 cm
Price: $53.3 million
Place, time: Christie's, May 2010
The bronze sculpture depicts Alberto Giacometti's younger brother Diego, who was the Swiss master's favorite model. There are several “Heads”; the last of the series was sold at Sotheby’s in 2013 for $50 million. “Diego’s Big Head” was cast for installation on a street square in New York; due to the death of the author, work on it was suspended. Estimate of the sculpture , which went under the hammer at Christie's, was $25-35 million.
Giacometti has been in the top 10 most expensive artists in the world since 2002, after selling several of the artist’s works at Christie’s. The most expensive figurine sold then was the third of eight copies of the “Cage” sculpture – it was valued at $1.5 million. However, 2010 became a landmark year for the artist, when Giacometti’s works began to be valued at the level of Picasso’s paintings.
Sculpture "Nude female figure from the back IV", 1958 
Author: Henri Matisse
Height: 183 cm
Price: $48.8 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2010
Experts call the bronze bas-relief “Nude Female Figure from the Back IV” the most striking of the four works in the series “Standing with her back to the viewer,” and the entire series as the greatest creation of modernist sculpture of the 20th century.
Until 2010, none of the sculptures from this cycle were put up for auction, although the bas-relief sold at Christie's is not the only one: a plaster cast for each series was cast in 12 copies at once. The height of one figure is 183 cm, weight - more than 270 kg Now the complete series of “Standing with His Back to the Viewer” are kept in nine leading museums in the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London and the Pompidou Center in Paris. Only two copies remained in private collections. of which was sold under the hammer.
"Female Nude from the Back IV" was originally estimated at $25-35 million, and the amount paid for it was a record for a Matisse work ever sold at auction.
Sculpture "Madame L.R.", 1914-1917 
Author: Constantin Brancusi
Price: $37.2 million
Place, time: Christie's, February 2009
The legendary sculptor of Romanian origin gained worldwide fame in Paris, where he lived for 35 years. His work had a great influence on the development of modern sculpture; Brancusi was called the founder of sculptural abstraction. The Pompidou Center has had a separate “Brancusi Room” since its inception.
Wooden figurine of Madame L.R. was created by Brancusi in 1914-1917. This is one of his most famous works. It is believed that "Madame L.R." conveys the traditional style of Carpathian carving and the influence of African art on the author’s work. The sculpture was sold in 2009 at Christie's as part of the art collection of French couturier Yves Saint Laurent.
Sculpture "Tulips", 1995-2004 
Author: Jeff Koons
Price: $33.7 million
Place, time: Christie's, November 2012
“The numbers on the price tag sometimes seem astronomical to me. But people pay such sums because they dream of joining the art process. Their right,” Jeff Koons reasoned in an interview with Interview magazine after his “Tulips” were sold for $33. 7 million Koons is called the most successful American artist after Warhol.
“Tulips” are one of the most complex and large sculptures from the Holiday series (in apparent weightlessness they weigh more than three tons). This is a bouquet of seven intertwined “balloon” flowers, made of stainless steel and coated with translucent paint.
The sculpture, which according to the author’s intention reveals the concept of childhood innocence, was bought in 2012 by one of the most extravagant heroes of Las Vegas, casino owner and billionaire Steve Wynn. He decided to showcase this acquisition at Wynn Las Vegas: the businessman adheres to the idea of "public art" and often displays items from his collection at the resorts he owns.
forbes.ru
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Collecting figurines and figurines is a hobby that evokes passion and cultivates taste.
Today, collecting figurines and figurines is very popular, because they can turn any home into original world. An exciting hobby evokes excitement, develops taste, and can uniquely decorate the interior and create comfort in any room. Buying figurines means getting small dolls or statues, usually depicting silhouettes of animals or humans. It is precisely due to the size of the products that the sale of figurines is more relevant when compared with large statues. Artistic sculptures are made from various materials, including:
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The most sophisticated collectors choose items made of gold or silver, wood or ivory, because such pieces satisfy sophisticated needs, involving charming world art. At the same time, the cost of a sculpture, for example, silver or gold, is an order of magnitude higher compared to other similar things. A miniature work is valued due to its unsurpassed author's execution and its historical characteristics, so selling handmade sculptures in limited editions will never go out of style.
Common groups of figurines and figurines for collecting
Among the chic variety of figurines that become collectibles, several stand out: popular groups. One of them is car figures. They are collected according to various criteria, for example, by material of manufacture, by brand, etc. In the second position is collecting nesting dolls, the design of which is carried out by artists with a rich imagination, adding certain highlights to their masterpieces. The top three most popular types of collecting are animal figurines. This can be explained simply - there are a huge number of them, and everyone can choose any genre to their liking in order to collect them without much difficulty. large collection elephants, cats or dogs.
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The fantastic record set at Sotheby's auction on December 5, 2007 - $57 million for an eight-centimeter figurine made of polished limestone, requires some explanation. Where did this miracle come from, is it a fake, does the "Lioness of Guennol" have analogues? And why is it is it so expensive?
“The Lioness of Guennola” adorned the showcase of the Brooklyn Museum of Fine Arts, which represents one of the best art collections in the United States, for almost 60 years. This small sculpture has been reproduced many times in art history textbooks, placed alongside such masterpieces as the marble head of a woman from Uruk and the goat figurine from Ur.
The lioness's history is murky: it is believed that she was found in 1931 in the vicinity of Baghdad and sold to an American collector. Who found it and under what circumstances is unknown. In 1931, the figurine ended up in the collection of antique dealer and gallery owner Joseph Brummel, a student of Auguste Rodin and a great connoisseur of ancient and medieval sculpture. Brummel has advised many collectors, notably Bradley Martin. Alistair Bradley Martin, his son, was also famous collector. Alistair Bradley and his wife Edith Park Martin bought the lioness from Brummel in 1948 and gave it as a long-term loan to the Brooklyn Museum of Fine Arts. The figurine never left the United States, but about once every ten years its owners lent it for exhibition to such respected collections as the Fogg Museum at Harvard and the Metropolitan in New York, so there was no shortage of researchers for the lioness. The name "Guennol" was assigned to the sculpture after the name of the Martin collection (guennol - swallow in Welsh).
Despite its modest size, the figurine makes an impression monumental work. The massive lion's head lies on a muscular shoulder, the arms-paws are clenched under the chest, while the torso is turned 90 degrees relative to the head and legs-paws. The very impossibility and extreme tension of the pose attracts the viewer. The figurine can and should be viewed from all sides. Probably in ancient times the lioness had a tail (holes for fastening are visible at the back). There is an assumption that the lower part of the paws was made of a different material. The holes on the head were most likely intended for a cord on which the figurine was hung to be worn around the neck.
The master who made the lioness, apparently, lived on the territory of modern Iran, where the state of Elam existed in ancient times (approximately 2700-600 BC). The lioness was sculptured in the proto-Elamite era - around 3000-2800 BC. She has about a dozen closest “relatives”. Firstly, this is a figurine of a bull from Uruk (Mesopotamia), dating back to the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennia BC. Secondly, a small group of proto-Elamite seals, which depicted standing on hind legs the animals are most likely lions. They all have their paws folded over their chests. Thirdly, a treasure of small sculptures was found by French archaeologists in Susa (one of the capitals of Elam): one of the figurines depicts a griffin-lion, stylistically the sculpture is designed quite close to the “Lioness of Guennola”. Fourth, two Proto-Elamite silver sculptures: a reclining mountain goat and a kneeling bull with a vessel. However, acquaintance with these objects cannot prepare the viewer for the extraordinary nature of The Lioness of Guennol. There are no analogues to this work of art, at least not yet. Perhaps one of the archaeologists of the future will be lucky.
As far as can be judged, the lioness has never been dated by physical methods: the figurine is too small for a piece to be sawed off without damage. All conclusions regarding its origin are made on the basis of analogies. In principle, this could scare off cautious buyers, but the reputation of the item from the Martin collection is considered impeccable. The new owner of the figurine, judging by a report from Bloomberg, was present at the Sotheby's auction in person. He introduced himself as an archaeologist, but did not give any more details about himself. Who is this mysterious scientist who laid out an amount three times higher than the auctioneers' estimate - 57 million versus 18 -20, the same mystery as the circumstances of the discovery of the lioness. Further fate"The Lionesses of Guennol" is not yet known, and for the audience the statuette is, at least for a while, lost.
There are many reasons why a person packs his bags and goes on a trip. In most cases, this is a desire to take a break from everyone, relax and relieve stress. But there is also a desire to learn the traditions and culture of all corners of the world. People are usually attracted to landscapes, beaches, seas, castles and museums. However, even statues can become a symbol of the country. Together with painting, sculpture is one of the most amazing forms of art. It is not surprising that the value of some works exceeds all imaginable boundaries.
There are statues in the world that compete with each other to be the most attractive tourist attractions. People travel thousands of kilometers just to see them. Most of the statues are not in museums, but in the most unexpected places: on mountaintops, on small islands or in private collections that are occasionally opened to the public.
10. Christ the Redeemer Statue, $3.5 million
Every year, approximately 1.8 million tourists come to Rio de Janeiro to see famous monument Christ the Redeemer trying to embrace the beautiful beaches of Copacabana with his hands. The height of the statue is 38 m, including the pedestal - 8 m; arm span - 28 m. Weight - 1145 tons. The huge statue is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. Located on Mount Corcovado, the monument was created by the architect and engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. Construction lasted from 1922 to 1931. and then it cost 250 thousand dollars, now it would be 3.5 million.
9. Madame L.R., $36.8 million
Constantin Brancusi, who supports the modernist movement in art, is a representative of minimalism. Nevertheless, his works are always interesting to look at, because they look very original. Unlike the other statues presented in this review, Brancusi's work represents an entire concept. The sculpture was most likely born sometime between 1914 and 1917. Previously, the masterpiece belonged to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. In 2009, a 115 cm tall oak statue was sold in Paris for $36.8 million.
8. Statue of Liberty: $45 million
Famous all over the world, the Statue of Liberty doesn't require much introduction. It is a symbol of freedom and democracy in the United States of America. It was created by the French and presented to the US government for the 100th anniversary of American independence. The unveiling of the Statue of Liberty took place on October 28, 1886. In her left hand, Lady Liberty holds the Declaration of Independence, and in her right hand, a torch symbolizing victory. The sculptor of the majestic statue is Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. His inspiration was the Colossus of Rhodes, dedicated to God Sun. On the head of the Statue of Liberty there is a crown with seven rays, which symbolize the seven continents. The giant steel structure on which the statue sits was designed by famous engineer Gustave Eiffel. At that time, the cost of the statue was $250,000. The funds spent on its construction were raised through contributions from the French people. Today the cost of the statue is $45 million. Weight is 225 tons.
7. Tete, $52.6 million
Created by sculptor Amedeo Modigliani between 1910 and 1912, Tete is the most expensive limestone statue. June 14, 2010 via phone call it was bought by an anonymous collector. Literally the word "Tete" means "head". The sculpture depicts the face of a woman wearing a tribal mask with her hair flowing back. When creating his masterpiece, Modigliani was clearly inspired by African symbolism. More than 60 cm in height, the sculpture features an interesting mixture of elements belonging to African culture and the minimalist approach of Constantin Brancusi.
6. Grande tete mince, $53.3 million
The famous "Grande tete mince" by Alberto Giacometti was created in 1954 and purchased by an anonymous collector on May 4, 2010 for $53.3 million. Literally, the name of the statue means "large narrow head." If you look at the sculpture from a certain angle, the bust appears distorted. When you look at half the face, the proportions seem normal, but if you look at the head from the foreground, the face looks abnormally narrow and long.
5. Spring Temple Buddha: $55 million
Currently, the Spring Temple Buddha is considered the tallest statue in the world. It is not as famous as the others presented in this review, but it deservedly takes pride of place among modern wonders. Its height without a stand is 128 meters, and with a stand - 153 meters. It was built in response to the demolition of Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2001. China continues to condemn the systematic demolition and destruction of Buddhist heritage throughout Afghanistan. The construction of the miracle statue was completed in 2008. It is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, made of copper and depicts Vairokana Buddha. It is located in the village of Zhaocun in Henan Province, in the heart of China. The cost of the statue is $55 million.
4. Lioness Guennola: $57.2 million
Historians claim that the Guennola lioness is over 5,000 years old. The author of the sculpture is unknown; it belongs to the heritage of the Mesopotamian civilization of Elam. The sculpture is very small, only 3.2 cm in height. It was discovered near Baghdad (Iraq). The sculpture depicts a hybrid creature, as human features are intertwined with animals, more precisely the features of a lioness. Historians and art historians believe that the sculpture was made at the time when man invented the wheel and began building the first settlements. In addition, the lioness is a symbol of Mesopotamian culture. The statue was purchased on December 5, 2007 by an anonymous collector for $57.2 million, making it the most expensive antique sculpture.
3. For the Love of God: $100 million
The most modern statue in the review. A strange combination of platinum, a human skull, diamonds and human teeth to express the love of God. Work belongs modern artist Damien Hirst. The sculptor received inspiration for the creation of the statue from a 200-year-old turquoise Aztec skull. The skull is cast in platinum, decorated with real human teeth and diamonds, the total weight of which is 1106 carats. It was created in 2007 and sold the same year for $100 million.
2. L'Homme qui marche, $104.3 million
Sold at Sotheby's on February 3, 2010, the statue of L "Homme Qui Marche is the most expensive statue ever sold. Sculptor Alberto Giacometti in 1961 created a masterpiece that represents a man in life size. Height – 1.82 meters. The name "L"Homme Qui Marche" literally means "the man who walks." The bronze statue symbolizes human strength. A man with feelings, happy and sad memories walks through life, trying to maintain balance. This is not only the most expensive sculpture ever sold. The Giacometti statue is also one of the most expensive works art in the history of mankind. In 2010, Lily Safra, an avid art collector, paid $104.3 million for it.
1. Mount Rushmore, $11 billion
Mount Rushmore is one of the symbols of American independence and freedom in America. In addition, it is also a tribute to four great US presidents. Also known as "Mountain of Presidents," South Dakota's Rushmore commemorates the faces of four American presidents who changed the country's destiny. From left to right - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Work on creating the 18-meter sculptures began in 1927 and was completed in 1941. At the time, the project cost nearly $1 million. The masterpiece is currently valued at $11 billion in modern dollars, making the Mount Rushmore statues the most expensive in the world.
