Țuculescu and Ghenie, the highest prices in Artmark’s postmodern and contemporary art auction

“Dark Eyes”, oil on cardboard by Ion Țuculescu, estimated to be worth up to €50,000, part of the collection of George Macovescu, Foreign Minister (1972-1978) and President of the Writers’ Union (1978-1982), was sold at Artmark for €62,000, the highest price in the most recent auction of postmodern and contemporary art.

The sale comprised 218 lots, had a 69.27% auction rate and totaled €385,725.

Two works by Adrian Ghenie, including an oil on canvas from 2007, went on sale on February 20. “Untitled”, understood in the key of the self-portrait, a composition of the facets of the self, was realized six years after the painter from Baia Mare graduated from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca and two years after he founded, together with Mihai Pop, the Plan B gallery in the same city.

The work is from the artist’s monochrome period and was estimated at between €25,000 and €45,000. It sold for €40,000.

In the same event was “Study for the Devil (3)”, digital print by Ghenie. It is a study for a work the artist made in 2010.”The Devil” is a theme that has taken various incarnations in the artist’s work over the years – from natural disasters to political figures. The oil version of the work was part of the artist’s solo exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst in Ghent (Belgium) in 2010. This study received an estimate of €1,000 – €1,800 and was sold for €3,000.

An important lot was an untitled oil on canvas dated 2016 and signed by Ecaterina Vrana, with an estimate of €10,000-18,000. It had a selling price of €26,000.

“The Herb Bearer” (2013), by Ștefan Câlția, was sold for €35,000, after receiving a maximum estimate of €16,000.

Other works by Felix Aftene, Horia Damian, Alexandru Ciucurencu, Georges Mazilu, Irlo, Constantin Piliuță and Marcel Guguianu were also awarded.