Latin American Art

Christie’s, the leader in Latin American art, has featured the most exciting art from various categories including colonial, modernist, surrealist, and contemporary works of art by recognized masters who have shaped the artistic landscape throughout the Americas. Remarkable works from prolific modernists such as Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Dr. Atl, and Alfredo Ramos Martínez whose works have broken records at Christie’s—have successfully figured prominently in the Latin American auctions. Profoundly influential artists such as Wifredo Lam, Matta, Candido Portinari, and Emiliano di Cavalcanti have been represented by compelling works that confirm their preeminent status.

Exceptional examples from Surrealists Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Gunther Gerzso, and Wolfgang Paalen as well as rare gems from artists that have defined particular turning points in the history of Latin America’s visual arts such as Mathias Goeritz, Sergio Camargo, and Jesús Rafael Soto, have been included in Christie’s vibrant sales. Contemporary masterpieces by Fernando Botero, Claudio Bravo and Tomás Sánchez, always-remarkable highlights of the auction season—have consistently been part of Christie’s Latin American sale offerings.

Christie’s holds the world auction record for Latin American Art with Rufino Tamayo’s Trovador, which achieved $7.2 million (May 2008) and holds numerous world auction records and exceptional sales results including $3.5 million for a series of eight 17th century paintings by an anonymous colonial Mexican painter, featuring The Conquest of Mexico (December 1999); $1.4 million for Abaporu by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral (November 1995); $886,000 for Mulher Deitada com Peixes e Frutas by Brazilian master Emiliano di Cavalcanti (November 2000); records set for both a painting and sculpture by Colombian contemporary artist Fernando Botero include $2,032,000 for the The Musicians (May 2006) and $1,609,000 for Mujer fumando (November 2007); $4,072,000 for Flowers of Mexico by Mexican artist Alfredo Ramos Martínez (May 2007); Pedro Coronel’s La guerra florida, $457,000 (May 2008); works by Brazilian artists such as Adriana Varejão whose Lingua com padrão sinuouso sold for $302,5000 (November 2008) and Helio Oiticica’s Metaesquema 19 for $182,500 (May 2009). Christie’s also holds the world record for Leonora Carrington’s masterpiece The Giantess, 1947 which sold for $1,482,500 (May 2009). The newly rediscovered Fuego en el batey by Cuban modernist Mario Carreño achieved an exceptional price at auction selling at $2,188,100 (May 2009).

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Department Contact Info

Specialist Profiles

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  • Cristina Carlisle

    Tel: +541 14 393 4222
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