Latest news with #RubellFamilyCollection
The South African
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Would you pay R246 million for this Marlene Dumas painting
In a proudly South Africa moment, Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist after her 1997 painting Miss January sold for $13.6 million (R246 million) at Christie's this week. The artwork, a last-minute consignment from the Rubell Family Collection, had been estimated between $12 million and $18 million, with a third-party guarantee in place. Marlene Dumas's Miss January (1997) sold for $13.6 million, including fees. Image: Christie's Bidding opened at $9 million and quickly escalated, with the hammer coming down at $11.5 million (before fees), prompting applause in the saleroom. With fees, the final price reached $13.6 million. The winning bid came from an anonymous telephone buyer. The painting is a towering oil-on-canvas piece measuring approximately 9 feet tall (281.9cm x 101.6cm) and revisits themes deeply personal to Marlene Dumas, who has lived in the Netherlands since the late 1970s. It draws inspiration from Miss World , the first known drawing she created at age 10, and connects to her earlier works such as the 1988 Misinterpreted – widely seen as a self-portrait – and her 1992 survey exhibition Miss Interpreted at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. This sale surpasses the previous record for a living female artist, held by Jenny Saville, whose Propped (1992) fetched £9.5 million ($12.4 million) at Sotheby's London in 2018. Before this auction, Dumas's highest price was $6.33 million, achieved in 2008 for The Visitor (1995) at Sotheby's London. While her market has remained steady, only a handful of her works have crossed the $1 million mark in recent years. Between 2022 and 2024, 15 Dumas works were sold at auction, but only five exceeded $1 million, and just two surpassed their high estimates. The sale was also notable due to the rarity of deaccessions from the Rubell Family Collection, one of the most prominent in the world. According to past statements, the Rubells have sold fewer than 20 pieces out of more than 5 000 collected over five decades. Miss January was previously displayed at their private museum in Miami during Art Basel in December. Dumas's historic result reaffirms her global significance and places her firmly at the top of the contemporary art market. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Who is Marlene Dumas?
Marlene Dumas is a South African-born, Dutch-based contemporary artist, internationally acclaimed for her powerful, emotionally resonant paintings and drawings. She was born in 1953 in Cape Town and has lived in the Netherlands since the late 1970s. Her work often focuses on the human figure and explores intense themes such as: Love, sex, and death Race and identity Violence and guilt Politics and vulnerability Dumas is known for using photographs – personal and journalistic – as references, which she transforms through expressive brushwork into deeply psychological portraits. Her style blurs the boundaries between intimacy and detachment, creating haunting and evocative imagery. The Painter (1994) Perhaps her most iconic work. Depicts her young daughter nude, covered in paint, staring directly at the viewer. Themes: innocence, creativity, perception of the artist, and female identity. Magdalena (1995) A provocative depiction of Mary Magdalene. Interrogates religious iconography and sexuality. Dead Marilyn (2008) A portrait of Marilyn Monroe based on the morgue photo taken after her death. Reflects on celebrity, mortality, and media exploitation. Osama (2010) A controversial painting of Osama bin Laden based on a widely circulated image. Challenges viewers to confront how media and politics shape villainy. Lucy (2004) One of many works named after or inspired by real women. Emphasizes the expressive quality of watercolor and fluid linework. The Image as Burden (1993) A smaller but symbolically heavy painting that inspired the title of a major retrospective. Portrays a man carrying a limp woman, echoing themes of martyrdom, violence, and love. Miss January (1997) This artwork recently garnered significant attention when it sold for $13.6 million (R246 million) at Christie's in New York on 14 May 14 setting a new auction record for a living female artist. 'Miss January' is a towering oil-on-canvas piece measuring approximately 9 feet tall (281.9cm x 101.6cm). It portrays a blonde woman standing confidently, nude from the waist down, wearing only a single pink sock. The subject's direct gaze and assertive posture challenge traditional representations of the female nude, confronting viewers with themes of vulnerability, power, and the objectification of women. Painted in 1997, the work revisits Dumas's earlier explorations of femininity and identity, echoing her first known drawing, 'Miss World,' created when she was just 10 years old. Through expressive brushwork and a limited color palette, Dumas blurs the lines between intimacy and detachment, inviting contemplation on the complexities of representation and perception. The sale of 'Miss January' not only established a new benchmark for Dumas's market value but also underscored her influence in contemporary art. The painting was previously part of the esteemed Rubell Family Collection, known for its commitment to contemporary artists. Marlene Dumas is considered one of the most important painters of her generation. Her work is part of major collections, including: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York The Tate Modern, London The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
SA-born Marlene Dumas smashes record for living female artist with R246m painting
Home » SA-born Marlene Dumas smashes record for living female artist with R246m painting Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas has set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist. Image: Wikimedia Commons Cape Town-born Marlene Dumas has set a new auction record, becoming the most expensive living female artist after her 1997 painting Miss January sold for $13.6 million (R246 million) at Christie's on Wednesday night. The artwork, a last-minute consignment from the Rubell Family Collection, had been estimated between $12 million and $18 million, with a third-party guarantee in place. Marlene Dumas's Miss January (1997) sold for $13.6 million, including fees. Image: Christie's Bidding opened at $9 million and quickly escalated, with the hammer coming down at $11.5 million (before fees), prompting applause in the saleroom. With fees, the final price reached $13.6 million. The winning bid came from an anonymous telephone buyer. The large-scale portrait revisits themes deeply personal to Dumas, now 71. It draws inspiration from Miss World , the first known drawing she created at age 10, and connects to her earlier works such as the 1988 Misinterpreted – widely seen as a self-portrait – and her 1992 survey exhibition Miss Interpreted at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. This sale surpasses the previous record for a living female artist, held by Jenny Saville, whose Propped (1992) fetched £9.5 million ($12.4 million) at Sotheby's London in 2018. Before this auction, Dumas's highest price was $6.33 million, achieved in 2008 for The Visitor (1995) at Sotheby's London. While her market has remained steady, only a handful of her works have crossed the $1 million mark in recent years. Between 2022 and 2024, 15 Dumas works were sold at auction, but only five exceeded $1 million, and just two surpassed their high estimates. The sale was also notable due to the rarity of deaccessions from the Rubell Family Collection, one of the most prominent in the world. According to past statements, the Rubells have sold fewer than 20 pieces out of more than 5 000 collected over five decades. Miss January was previously displayed at their private museum in Miami during Art Basel in December. Dumas's historic result reaffirms her global significance and places her firmly at the top of the contemporary art market. Title Low Est. High Est. Price W/Fees Sale date Love your Neighbor $5,500,000 $7,500,000 $5,879,500 Nov '23 After the Kiss $2,427,184 $3,640,776 $3,719,660 Oct '23 Snow White in the Wrong Story $3,500,000 $4,500,000 $3,781,000 Nov '22 Cathedral $2,847,159 $3,623,657 $4,057,202 Feb '20 Magdalena (Underwear and Bedtime Stories) $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $3,615,000 Nov '17 De gele vingers van de kunstenaar [The yellow fingers of the artist] $2,200,000 $2,800,000 $3,615,000 Nov '17 Colorfields $2,500,000 $3,500,000 $4,170,000 May '17 Red Head $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $3,250,000 May '16 The visitor $1,594,260 $2,391,391 $6,331,706 Jul '08 The Teacher (Sub a) $651,283 $837,365 $3,349,460 Feb '05 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. Follow us on Facebook for the latest breaking news, polls - and more!
