Salvo's Hong Kong Auction Record Tops €1 Million at Christie's

On November 28, 2023, Christie's Hong Kong set a new world auction record for Italian artist Salvo (Leonforte 1947 – Turin, 2015). His painting 'Il Mattino' (1994), measuring over two by three meters, opened the 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale and sold for HKD 8,964,000 (approximately €1,015,267), far exceeding the pre-sale estimate of HKD 1,800,000-2,800,000. This marks the first time a work by Salvo has surpassed the million-euro threshold. The previous record was £693,000 for 'Il giorno fu pieno di lampi la sera verranno le stelle' at Christie's London in October 2023, followed by $495,300 for 'Prima Primavera' at Phillips New York on November 15, 2023. The sale confirms growing Asian market interest in the artist. The top lot of the session was Sanyu's 'Femme nue sur un tapis' (1929) from the Dreyfus collection, selling for HKD 187,375,000 (about €21.5 million). Other strong results included works by Yayoi Kusama and Lin Fengmian, while contemporary artists Richard Prince and George Condo underperformed. Yoshitomo Nara's 'Bad Barber' (2000) sold for HKD 51,195,000 (€6 million), likely to a guarantor. The Hong Kong sales continue through December 2, with sessions for wine, jewelry, and ceramics.