After close to 9 mins of intense bidding, ‘Meules’ set a new world record for the impressionist master on Tuesday.
All told, Sotheby’s Impressionist and modern evening sale made $349.9 million with buyer’s premium, above its pre-sale high estimate of $337 million, even after the late withdrawal of a Picasso lot estimated at $3 million to $4 million. (Final prices, unless otherwise noted, include buyer’s premiums; pre-sale estimates do not.) Fifty-three of the 55 works that mounted the block found buyers, securing an impressive 91 percent sell-through rate.