Christie's London auction: Magritte record, Rodin unsold

Christie's Impressionist and Modern Art sale in London achieved nearly £137 million, with a strong Surrealist section. Magritte's 'La corde sensible' set a new artist record at £14.4 million, while his 'Le domaine d'Arnheim' sold for £10.2 million. The top lot was Gauguin's 'TeFare (La maison)' at £20.3 million. Works from Barbara Lambrecht's collection exceeded estimates, totaling nearly £16 million for the Rubens Prize Collection at Museum of Contemporary Art Siegen. Three Le Corbusier oils from the Heidi Weber Museum Collection fetched £3.3 million. The Art Institute of Chicago sold Paul Delvaux's 'Le village des sirènes' for £3 million. Henri Hayden's 'Fille assise au bouquet de fleurs' achieved £425,000, a record. Rodin's 'Le baiser, grand modèle' remained unsold, stalling at £3.8 million against a £4-6 million estimate. The auction saw spirited bidding, including a buyer's exclamation and a woman's exuberant celebration at Sotheby's.