Do you consider sculptures to be always a steal? Rethink that! With their astounding cost, these three-dimensional marvels can really deliver a punch. While paintings typically take center stage, sculptures and installations are causing quite a stir in the art world, smashing price records left and right!
Did you hear about Rabbit? A sculpture by Jeff Koons sold at Christie’s on May 15, 2019, for an incredible $91.1 million, the highest price ever paid for a work by a living artist. The fortunate buyer? Nobody else but the well-known art dealer Robert E. Mnuchin, who happens to be the father of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Following the success of his Balloon Dog (Orange), which sold for $58.4 million in 2013, Koons is now the artist of choice for extremely wealthy collectors thanks to this record-breaking deal.
Jeff Koons’ Most Remarkable Pieces of Work
Rabbit: Sold for $91.1 million
The most expensive piece of live art in the world is “Rabbit,” a 3-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture by Jeff Koons that resembles a silver balloon animal. It was a part of S.I. Newhouse Jr.’s collection, which included works by well-known artists like Freud, Cézanne, Lichtenstein, Warhol, and van Gogh. It sold at Christie’s for an astounding $91.1 million.
However, critics say the “Rabbit” sculpture by Jeff Koons cleverly hints at earlier artworks by famous artists like Brancusi, Duchamp, and Warhol.
Balloon Dog (Orange): Sold for $58.4 million
Like a soft balloon, Jeff Koons’ enormous stainless steel artwork Balloon Dog (Orange) is from his Celebration series, created in 1994. In November 2013, it sold for an astounding $58,405,000 at Christie’s New York auction. With the sale of Balloon Dog (Orange) for almost $91 million in 2019, Koons’ sculpture “Rabbit” also broke the record for the highest auction price for a live artist.
Play-Doh: Sold for $22.8 million
The two decades-long love project of Koons, the Play-Doh sculpture, was finally completed. In spite of several setbacks and scrappings, this detailed piece of art brought in an incredible $22,812,500 at a Christie’s New York auction in 2018. When it debuted in 2014 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the polyethylene sculpture captivated viewers with its minute intricacies and unwavering persistence.
Popeye: Sold for $28.1 million
Learn about the intriguing process that went into creating the legendary Popeye (2009–11) by Jeff Koons, which took three years to complete. Once proudly on display at the Sonnabend Gallery in New York, this masterwork caused a stir when it was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in May 2014, bringing in an astounding $28,165,000.
Cracked Egg (Magenta): Sold for $13.5 million
Take a look at the Cracked Egg (Magenta), a work of art that took him 12 years to complete. Raising an estimated £10–15 million during pre-sale, this extraordinary piece of art marks the artist’s first time in London in almost ten years and announces a significant milestone in his career.
