NEW YORK — A rare piece of artwork painted by Vincent van Gogh weeks before his death has sold for $61.8 million at a New York auction of big-ticket impressionist and modern art.
The 1890 painting, "Still Life, Vase With Daisies and Poppies," had expected to fetch between $30 million and $50 million. The auction record for a van Gogh is $82.5 million.
Tuesday's auction at Sotheby's also brought in $101 million for "Chariot," a rare sculpture by Alberto Giacometti. The 1951 bronze sculpture features an elongated, goddess-like figure perched atop a wheeled chariot. The price almost broke the $104.3 million record for the artist.
FILE- This undated file photo provided by Sotheby's shows Alberto Giacometti's "Chariot," a bronze sculpture of an elongated figure atop a wheeled chariot. One of two rare sculptures inspired by goddesses, it is among the prized pieces to be sold at Sotheby's impressionist and modern art auction on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 in New York. (AP Photo/Sotheby's)
FILE - This undated file photo provided by Sotheby’s shows Vincent van Gogh's "Still Life, Vase With Daisies and Poppies." One of the few works sold during his lifetime and was painted weeks before his death; the painting could sell for up to $50 million when it goes up on the block at Sotheby’s on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Sotheby's, File)
Amedeo Modigliani's "Tete," sculpture sold for $70.7 million, just topping the previous auction record for the artist at $69 million.
All of the prices include the buyer's premium.