The second highest price ever realized for a work of art was realized at
Sotheby’s Auction House in New York. The auction, held on May 3, 2006, saw Pablo
Picasso’s “Dora Maar du Chat” bring $95.2 Million. An unidentified phone bidder
purchased the painting in a spirited session that saw the room gasp when the
hammer fell.

The painting is just one of many depictions that Picasso
did of his lover and companion, Dora Maar.

Another highlight of the
auction was the sale of Henri Matisse’s “Nu Coche vu de dos” which brought
$18,496,000 The total for the entire auction of Impressionist and Modern Art was
$207,564,800.

The highest price ever paid for a painting was set by
Sotheby’s in 2004 when another Picasso painting, “Garcon a la Pipe” brought
$104.2 Million.