Rufino Tamayo’s Trovador Sets New World Auction Record
Published June 4th, 2008
Christie’s Latin American Evening Sale realized both a new world auction record for Latin American Art with Rufino Tamayo’s Trovador at $7,209,000, and set the highest total ever for any auction of Latin American Art at $26,632,850.
Tamayo’s magnificent Trovador more than doubled the previous world auction record for the artist, and eclipsed the previous record for the category, held by Frida Kahlo’s Roots, which sold for $5,616,000 in May 2006.
The sale was 86% sold by value, 83% sold by lot.
Trovador was acquired by the legendary American collector Stephen C. Clarke who gifted it to the present owner 60 years ago. Rarely exhibited and known to the general public only through a black and white illustration in Robert Goldwater’s monograph, Trovador has not been seen in the context of other Tamayo works in more than 40 years.
