1/ The most expensive work of the year Unsurprisingly, it's the usual artist who has exploded the auction counter this year. The most expensive work sold in 2021 is none other than Woman seated near a window (Marie-Thérèse) (1932) by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Auctioned for $ 103.41 million at Christie's in New York last May, the painting represents Marie-Thérèse Walter, the artist's companion, and muse. Sold for $ 6.8 million in 1997, $ 95.2 million in 2006, then $ 44.7 million in 2013 at Sotheby's in London, the canvas has increased by more than 1400% compared to its price. original. 2/ A lost Fragonard rediscovered After two centuries of disappearance, Le Philosophe lisant (1768-1770) by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) ignited the auction last June. Sold for 7.68 million euros in Épernay (Marne), the work was kept in a family's living room in Epernay without the latter knowing its value or origin. During the succession inventory, Maître Antoine Petit, auctioneer of Enchères Champagne d'Épernay, notices the master's signature on the back of the painting and has it appraised. According to expert Éric Turquin, who authenticated the work, " it is the pinnacle of 18th century French painting, first of all by its subject and by its extremely brilliant execution by Fragonard, very fast, very light ".
3/ The most expensive portrait in the world The year started on a roll. In January, The Portrait of the Young Man Holding a Medallion (1470-1480) by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) became both the sales record for a painting by the Renaissance master but also the most expensive portrait in the world, as well as the second most expensive old painting after the Salvator Mundi attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (auctioned for more than 383 million euros in 2017). These new records show the perpetual increase in the prices of the paintings of the old Italian masters and the effectiveness of the communication work around the event by the auction house. The masterpiece has found a buyer at Sotheby's New York for 76.2 million euros. 4/ The most expensive painting by Frida Kahlo Last November, Diego y yo (1949) by Frida Kahlo made history. Auctioned for $ 34.9 million at Sotheby's in New York, the painting set a new auction record for the artist and a work by a Latin American artist. Kept private for 30 years, the surrealist self-portrait represents the artist with tears in her eyes, with an image of her husband Diego Rivera on her forehead. 5/ Banksy's most expensive work Impossible to finish the year's balance sheet without mentioning the success of the most famous of the anonymous Street Artist. Last October, The Little Girl with the Self-Destroyed Red Balloon , or Love is in the Bin, became Banksy's most cherished work. Auctioned for £ 18.6 million at Sotheby's in London, the famous performance canvas has increased its price by 18 times since its initial sale in 2018. A year that has been particularly successful for the works of the British artist at auction, since 'it has seen two other exceptional sales: Game Changer (16.75 million pounds) and Sunflowers from Petrol Station (14.6 million dollars). Seen in Connaissance des arts, article: Agathe Hakoun