From a vintage Ferrari with a great history to a whisky that attracted younger bidders and Damien Hirst art pieces, here are some of the hottest auction lots sold at auction houses around the world recently
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB #6785
Auctioned by Artcurial in Paris for €2.5 million (about RM11.9 million).
The major attraction at Retromobile 2020 by Artcurial Motorcars, this 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB #6785 was the centre of a fierce fight involving bidders in the room and over the telephone. Blessed with an incredibly rich history and extensive documentation, the vehicle came in impressively preserved condition–still with its original engine, no less. Its most significant claim to fame is as the winner of the 1966 Monza 1000 km GT class (one of the most-raced 275 GTB in period), although it participated in over 40 international events including circuit races, hillclimbs, and rallies.
Macallan Lalique Genesis-72 Year Old Decanter
Auctioned by Bonhams online for HKD930,000 (about RM524,000).
Over 30 per cent of those bidding in Bonhams’ online-only sale were young collectors under 40 years old, pointing to an exciting rise in budding whisky aficionados. Perhaps that’s partly why this crystal decanter of Macallan Lalique Genesis-72 year old, distilled and bottled by The Macallan Distillers Ltd in Easter Elchies, was snapped up so swiftly. One of only 600 decanters, this single malt (with an ABV of 42 per cent) comes in a bespoke wooden presentation case inspired by the interior of The Macallan’s distillery.
The Splash by David Hockney
Auctioned by Sotheby’s in London for £23.1 million (about RM119 million).
Long considered one of the most iconic Pop art images of the 20th century, this painting represents the apex of David Hockney’s Californian fantasy, along with the warmth, affluence, and pursuit of pleasure that the Yorkshire-born artist adored about this dreamland. Painted in 1966 at a watershed moment in his career, this work encapsulates Hockney’s lifelong fascination with the texture, appearance, and depth of water. It is the second in a series of three ‘splashes’: the largest – A Bigger Splash – belongs to the Tate collection in London, while A Little Splash remains in private hands and has never been offered publicly.
Bodies by Damien Hirst
Auctioned by Phillips in London for £1.37 million (about RM7.1 million).
One has to marvel at British collector Robert Tibbles’ foresight. As a young bond trader embarking on expanding his art collection in 1989, he snapped up a quirky cabinet filled with empty medication packets by a then-unknown artist called Damien Hirst, all for the bargain sum of £600. Three decades later, it was the star attraction at Phillips’ 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, where Hirst’s medicine cabinet fetched a world record price. Out of a combination of glass, faced particleboard, ramin, plastic, aluminium, and a deeply enigmatic arrangement of medical elements comes the artist’s perennial suggestion that art – not medicine – is the cure.
