The Portrait That Set Tamara de Lempicka's Auction Record
3 min read · 23 Jan 2025
Portrait de Marjorie Ferry. Image courtesy of Christie's
Tamara de Lempicka's Portrait de Marjorie Ferry (1932) sold for $21.14m at Christie's in London on February 5, 2020. The oil on canvas work had been traded once before, in 2009, when it sold for the then record price of $4.9m at Sotheby's New York.
Tamara de Lempicka was at the height of her fame when the then Paris-based, Polish artist was commissioned by a wealthy financier to paint a portrait of his glamorous new wife, Marjorie Ferry. The British singer, who performed in Paris cabarets, is portrayed in the artist's signature, streamlined style, resembling a Hollywood star of the era.
Lempicka, who was never short of suitors herself, may have been helped by her new lover, the Parisian singer Suzy Solidor, to secure the lucrative commission at the height of the Great Depression.
La Tunique Rose. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The sale beat Lempicka's previous auction record by $7.77m, a 58% rise. The previous record was set by La Tunique Rose (1927), which sold for $13.36m at Sotheby's on November 12, 2019.
A Brief History of Lempicka at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020-02-05 | Portrait de Marjorie Ferry | $21.14m | 58 % | Christie's | London |
2019-11-12 | La Tunique Rose | $13.36m | 47 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2018-11-11 | La Musicienne | $9.09m | 7 % | Christie's | New York |
2011-11-02 | Le Rêve (Rafaëla Sur Fond Vert) | $8.48m | 30 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2011-06-22 | La Dormeuse | $6.54m | 7 % | Sotheby's | London |
2009-05-06 | Portrait de Madame M. | $6.13m | 25 % | Christie's | New York |
2009-05-05 | Portrait de Marjorie Ferry | $4.9m | 19 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2004-05-04 | Portrait de Mrs Bush | $4.1m | 49 % | Christie's | New York |
1989-06-12 | Jeune femme en buste | $2.75m | 129 % | Binoche & Godeau | Paris |
1989-05-10 | Portrait de Mrs. Alan Bott | $1.2m | 55 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1987-11-12 | Portrait de Madame Boucard | $775,000 | 52 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1987-05-12 | Andromede | $510,000 | 100 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1985-11-14 | Portrait du Docteur Boucard | $255,000 | 5 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1985-05-15 | La belle Rafaela | $242,000 | 303 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1982-11-05 | Fillette en rose | $60,000 | 83 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1982-02-28 | Les deux fillettes en robe bleue | $32,800 | - | Blache | Versailles |
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