Buying a record Giacometti attributed to the widow Brazilian banker
Just two art dealer, who wished to remain anonymous, disclosed to Bloomberg identity of the person who bought the sculpture of Alberto Giacometti's "Walking man I" for 104,3 million dollars. According to their information, the work acquired Lily Safra, widow of Brazilian banker Edmond Safra.
"Walking Man" was sold by auction house Sotheby's on Feb. 3, 2010 and established an absolute record of the value of works of art, previously belonged to Picasso "Boy with a Pipe" (104.2 million dollars). The auction was held in London, respectively, rates on all lots were made in pounds sterling (the sculpture was sold for 65 million pounds). In this connection, various messages Giacometti dollar price varies - from Bloomberg, it makes 103,4 million, but Sotheby's claim that the exchange rate used by the bank HSBC, which received a record price.
The head of the London investment firm Fine Art Fund, specializing in investments in works of art, called the final price paid for Giacometti, "shattering." The maximum amount that the auction organizers hoped to gain for the sculpture was 18 million pounds, in 3,5 times less than the final price.
Confirmation of purchase sculpture widow of the banker agency failed. Representative Lily Safra said that she never responds to such requests from the media, but he also did not refute the information agency. According to the sources Bloomberg, Safra long wanted to buy the walking man I "and had once tried to do it, but negotiations broke down.
Lily Safra is known primarily as a philanthropist - she heads a charity foundation named after her late husband, who died in a fire in 1999. Her condition, according to Forbes, is estimated at one billion dollars.
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