An auction raises nearly 7.5 million francs

An exceptional auction was held in Geneva this Thursday. Organized by the Piguet auction house, this event closed the major sales of June, with a total result of 7.4 million francs.

Among the evening's highlights were the seven ceramics by Pablo Picasso, which were unveiled to the public and presented on the art market for the first time, and met with great enthusiasm. Created between 1947 and 1963, these unique pieces totaled 272,000 francs, almost double the low estimate.

Two paintings by Giovanni Battista Cimaroli depicting views of Venice fetched 457,000 francs, setting a new world record for the artist. Another highlight of the sale was a Fabergé clock in gold, silver, blue enamel, and pearls, made in 1907 by Henrik Wigström, one of the greatest goldsmiths of the Russian imperial court. This item, which once belonged to royalty, reached four times its low estimate and ultimately sold for 127,000 francs.

The contemporary art market was abuzz with excitement over one of Yves Klein's first monochromes, dating from 1959 and still unseen today. The work was created using the famous International Klein Blue (IKB) pigment, which the painter patented the following year. The painting fetched 114,000 francs. The unusual object of the week, a gold skull, also found a buyer. Auctioned by a retired Geneva medical professor, the piece fetched a modest 70,000 francs.