#pritzker-collection

#pritzker-collection

Vincent van Gogh's (November-December 1887) sold for $62.7m at Sotheby's, New York on 20 November, a record price for one of the artist's works painted in Paris. It did considerably better than expected, since the initial pre-sale estimate (without fees) was $40m. The final result almost doubled the previous highest price at auction for a work from the artist's Paris period, the $33.2m paid for Corner of a Garden with Butterflies (May-July 1887), which sold at Christie's last year.

The Van Gogh still life has been consigned by the estate of Cindy Pritzker, who died in March, aged 101. Her late husband, Jay Pritzker, built up the Hyatt Hotels chain and died in 1999. Cindy, who was president of the Chicago Public Library board, had a passion for literature. This added to her enthusiasm for Parisian Novels, which depicts 22 books casually strewn across a table, along with a glass with three pink roses.