For the past couple of months I have been alarming you for the scheduled auctions of paintings, art, statue and others. But now the day has come when the international auction houses viz. Sotheby’s and Christie are getting their dues.

It has been months that I Francis Bacon canvas worth $46 million, a record-setting Jeff Koons’ hanging heart steel sculpture and an Andy Warhol print of Conrad Black has helped boost Sotheby’s to reach the highest ever generation of the contemporary arts sale. Following the northwards going curve of the prices during last two years, Sotheby’s too estimated to out shadow with around 71 lots in New York sold for around $319 million.

Bacon’s “Second Version of Study for Bullfight No 1″, painted in 1969 was honored as the most expensive item that gold sold for £22.4 million to an unsigned American buyer during contemporary arts sale. Also, Bacon self-portrait generated $33 million, almost two-fold of the anticipated price. Both these Bacon’s creation would be exhibited in a public exhibition scheduled in Madrid before hitting the New York based exhibition later this autumn.

Koons’s 9ft long Hanging Heart went under the hammer for $23.6 million beating the previous record of living artist’s artwork by Damien Hirst. At the same evening, “Portrait of Conrad Black” - one of four Warhol designed by former Daily Telegraph proprietor fetched $240,000. The sale came as a pill of relief for Sotheby’s after the shock of the Impressionist and modern art sale last week that failed to invite even a single bid for Van Gogh drew no bids.

Via Telegraph

Someone has rightly said the identity of the successful person gets recognized when he is asked for autograph rather than signature. In Blogosphere, the dialysis occurs when a blog gets mature from a label of a baby blog to the pedestal of a majestic presence. Right on the heels of my expectations, I have managed to crack 500 posts (on EliteChoice) within less than a year (with first post on 9 January).

Ideally I should feature myself with a goblet of champagne but I take the opportunity to introduce my internal spirit to you. This two-legged beast is my mirror image who knows the right direction and cherish past with a present energy and looks forward to ink bigger deals in life (in terms of value as size doesn’t make a difference).

Besides my journalistic profession, I was committed to my bloggers’ desk throughout this year and never intended to beat big sharks like Luxist, LuxuryLaunches, UberGizmo, ShinyShiny, Bornrich, UberReview, Blavish and others but am glad that I earned the deserving recognition from them. Also, a three-month-young network with Elite Fashion Blog Bazaar Community is quite satisfying.

It was an exciting journey to chronicle the world of elite products and break the news on the board, respecting the prerequisite of a journalist and curiosity of my faithful readers. Gluing to my very first post that outlined the purpose of my blog, I am happy to set various laurels in that direction and am geared up to offer an unbeatable common-sense perspective on important topics/ products and events of the day.

I am glad to share with you that the onset of 2008 would mark our first anniversary with a lot more unique features on the cards. And yah from today I am all set to offer next 500 posts coming thick and fast.

This Time Three Cheers To Me And My Love:)

When the talk about modern business vicinity of Paris is on, one cannot afford to miss La Défense quarter. The place is occupied with contemporary master works. Featured above is “Le pouce” (the thumb), an unbeatable artistic creation by a renowned French sculptor César Baldaccini. Designed in 1965, this sculpture weighs 18 tonnes and is 12-meter high. Lately, one of three creations that was owned by a private collector went for auction and generated a sum of 1,219 million euros ($1,731,411,136). This is the highest amount paid for Cesar’s work till date and now the third ‘Pouce’ is owned by the city of Seoul.

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Enough of Paintings, Statues and other artwork spreading their charm at auction houses; its time to give some respect to Hitler’s globe. Discovered by American soldier John Barsamian in 1945 May, this globe was kept at his home in Oakland after being shipped from Berghof, Hitler’s home in the Bavarian Alps town of Berchtesgaden along with a pistol and a dagger.

Around 60-years, this blog served as a masterpiece at his home and was introduced only to the friends and acquaintances visiting his place. But now Barsamian has plans to display this relic at an auction together with military paperwork that permitted him to bring it back to the U.S., including a official document reading “1 Global Map, German, Hitler’s Eagle Nest.”

The globe stands on a natural wooden dais and would perfectly fit-in a high-school classroom. Seemingly, a transparent-weathered ribbon has encircled the globe around the equator. The auction is scheduled for 13 November in San Francisco and is estimated to invite bids ranging from $15,000 to $20,000.

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Filthy-Rich Gentry doesn’t have a limit to their whooping desires. Day in and out, we have been witnessing entry of masterpieces, artwork, paintings, statues to the international auction houses viz. Sotheby’s and Christie’s. And the next day, the highest bidder dominates the headline. Luxury seems to be in their veins and thus they can afford to buy the weirdest of product at outrageous prices.

Lately, Denise Lefrak Calicchio, former Sotheby’s broker has given vent to his thoughts charting down the psychology of the filthy-rich. Pointing towards investing in estates that has almost become a norm, he said the trend is not restricted to mere purchase but its constant renovation is what drives big bucks. Imagine a villa equipped with $30,000 couch or world’s most-expensive accessories, appliances and thingy products. And above it, revamp suiting to the present time catching eyeballs. His condensed view is: “This trend is not going to go away because there are so many people who want these apartments. There’s the new rich and there’s the old rich. There’s the poor rich and the rich rich.”

Well, I think there is no harm till the time a person can afford to buy his desires by throwing few packets of money. Someone has rightly said: “You are as good as your last story.” This perfectly fits in riches status symbol and drives them to keep updating their portfolio, reaching higher and higher and higher.

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The face of the directory of the silver and Russian works of art auction scheduled at Sotheby on 13 October reveals the unique silver masterpiece featured above. The highlight of the artwork from the estate of Charles and Yvette Bluhdorn includes the Fitzgibbon Marine centerpiece which is a George III silver centerpiece designed by James Young in 1786.

The magnum opus resides on a shell feet with four crusty dolphins intertwined offering scroll support to an elliptical tureen centered on each side. On the top is a sprawling figure of Neptune with trident. Charles was a renowned industrialist and died in 1983. After him, his wife Yvette took the responsibility to the masterwork. The silver centerpiece is anticipated to fetch $800,000 to $1.2 million.

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The number of visitors at Sotheby’s has been rising and all thanks to the mounting pieces of art, statue and paintings available for auction. While the news about the Francis Bacon’s Self-Portrait and Bullfight, Magna Carta’s 710-year-old copy, Pablo Picaso’s unique creation, Chinese Artwork, Jeff Koon’s 9-foot pink heart, Van Gogh’s “Wheat Fields” painting, Guennol Lioness statue and also portrayal of extension of great wall of china at Sotheby’s Biggest auction wasn’t old that we have a new entrant.

“Te Poipoi” (The Morning) is a beautiful painting by the French post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin that presents a Tahitian women taking bath under mango trees. The painting would be a part of an auction scheduled in November and is anticipated to fetch $60 million.

No doubt this 1892 canvas picturing bathing women has turned into a quixotic spot. Sotheby’s honors the work of art as “Supreme Tahitian panorama by the artist in the custody of the private hands” and “facet of the memorable collections till formed in America.” In 1945, the paining was procured by Charles Payson, a multimillionaire collector.

Via Born Rich

All hopes of artists and collectors are attached with the soon-to-be auctioned masterpieces, paintings and statues at Sotheby’s. To the familiar list of Francis Bacon’s Bullfight, a rare 710-year-old copy of the Magna Carta, ancient statue of Guennol Lioness, Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields and the Jeff Koon’s 9-foot heart, I am here to introduce the self-portrait of Francis Bacon.

The two paintings of this Anglo-Irish artist (1909-1992) viz. the “Study for Bullfight” and “Self Portrait” are expected to fetch $50 million in an auction scheduled at Sotheby’s fall contemporary art sale in New York on 14 November.

Unlike “Study for Bullfight No. 1, 2nd Version” that is expected to fetch $35 mn, the self portrait is anticipated to generate $15 mn. His ‘Self Portrait’ is a clear reflection of his struggle along with subject of identity.

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An Update: The Guennol Lioness, Mesopotamian sculpture gold sold for $57 mn at New York on 6 December.

Identified as the Guennol Lioness, an antique granite figurine of a majestic lioness with over 8 centimeters (3 1/4 inches) tall is expected to fetch $18 million at Sotheby’s in New York on 5 December.

The sale is organized by Steel Baron’s heir. The sale would follow the auction of Bronze Horse head (10 mn), Buddha statue (3.3 mn - 4.5mn) and Bond’s ball ($5, 00,000).

In 1948, this 5,000-year-old statue was conquered by private collector Alastair Bradley Martin and since then it was placed at the Brooklyn Museum. As per Sotheby’s, this effigy is expected to arrive from primeval Mesopotamia (Iran).

Via Bloomberg

This unique bronze horse’s head was designed to honor the zodiac fountain of the Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan ) during the Qing dynasty. In 1860, it was pillaged by British and French troops from a water clock at Beijing.

The statue would be available for Sotheby’s autumn auction sales scheduled in Hong Kong on 9 October and is expected to fetch $10 million. Out of the 12 bronze heads of zodiac animals, this is being touted as the most “uncommon and glorious” effigy and is expected to invite fury and separatist thoughts among Chinese.

With an unconscious mind, blind eyes and deaf years, one can sense that the prospective buyer for the Horse’s head would be Chinese. The excuse for such statement is the fanatical nature of the wealthy Taiwanese collectors to retrieve their lost inheritance. Presently, only seven heads (including ox, tiger, bear and monkey) are being located and exhibited in a museum in Beijing. The rabbit and rat are under the personal custody of the European compilation.

Via Canada News