The Steel Sculpture That Set David Smith's Auction Record

David Smith's Cubi XXVIII (1965), a unique work, sold for $21.25m at Sotheby's in New York on November 9, 2005.

The majority of Smith's late series of "Cubi" sculptures are in the collections of leading museums, as was the final work,Cubi XXVIII, for a time. It was formerly owned by the billionaire collector Norton Simon, who displayed it in what was the Pasadena Museum of Modern Art until he took it over, renaming the Los Angeles institution after himself. He also dismissed all the docents, among other controversial moves.

After it was sold by Norton Simon Inc., and so left the Norton Simon Museum, Smith's sculpture went on extended loan to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth before being consigned to auction for the first time.

Smith said he polished the stainless steel sculptures "in such a way that on a dull day, they take on the dull blue, or the color of the sky in the afternoon sun, the glow, golden like the rays, the colors of nature.’’

The sale beat Smith's previous auction record by $16.85m, a 375% rise. His previous record was set by Jurassic bird (1945), which sold for $4.4m at Christie's on November 8, 2005.

A Brief History of David Smith at Auction