News Item: 00036

16th Oct 2007

Bacon's 'Study from the Human Body, Man Turning on the Light' sells for £8m

Source: http://www.christies.com

Christie's Post War & Contemporary Art sales week held from 14-16 October 2007 totalled £66,565,575 ($135,108,066), the highest ever total for the October Post War & Contemporary Art auctions in London. Strategically timed during a week when the world's focus is on international contemporary art in London, the sales saw over 750 clients register to bid in person, in writing, on the phone and through Christie's LIVE.

"It has been a superb week in London with every major collector from around the world travelling to the capital to attend our auctions and the events surrounding the Frieze Art Fair. Christie's newly-designed salerooms and galleries provided a spectacular backdrop to both our exhibitions and highly successful auctions this week, which have seen the market maintain its strong position. Over the next six weeks we host major auctions in New York, Hong Kong and Dubai and look forward to this very positive trend continuing," said Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's Europe.

The top selling lot for the week was 'Study from the Human Body, Man Turning on the Light' by Francis Bacon (1909-1992) which sold for £8,084,500 ($16,371,113), the fourth highest price for the artist at auction. The picture was offered by the Royal College of Art who were given the work directly by the artist as rent for the use of a studio in Cromwell Road in 1969 and who were selling the painting in order to raise funds for a major new campus.