Young Dutch Girl, a 1941 portrait by Art Deco icon Tamara de Lempicka, achieved €1,184,960 (with fees, about £1.03 million) at Rossini’s Modern Art & Contemporary Interiors sale on 3 July, setting a European record for the artist.
See also: Tamara de Lempicka and the Roaring Twenties
Six bidders competed for the work, with three contenders driving the price past €920,000 during a 15-minute bidding battle. The winning bid came from a prominent European business leader and collector.
Presented at the 1944 Salon d’Automne during the final years of World War II, Young Dutch Girl remained in the same family since its acquisition directly from the artist in 1947.
“The only work chosen by the artist to embody her work at the legendary Salon d'Automne of 1944, this work stands as a vibrant manifesto in the spirit of the Liberation of Paris,” said Sam Taïr, President of Rossini. “This masterpiece, crowned with a well-deserved European record, recognises the artist's visionary talent and the symbolism surrounding this work.”
See also: Napoleon's Suicide Attempt Pistols Fetch £1.4 Million
The result also marks a house record for a modern painting at Rossini, coming one year after the sale of The Emperor’s Box of Pistols, a pair of pistols belonging to Napoleon I sold for €1.69 million (about £1.46 million). With this latest achievement, Rossini reinforces its position among the top 20 auction houses in France.
