A portrait of artist Rik Wouters’ wife, painted by the artist himself, sold for €2,460,000 in a Christie’s auction in Paris, setting a new world record for a work by the Malines-born exponent of Fauvism, the auction house announced on Thursday evening.
The artwork, titled 'Reflets' and painted in 1912, features Nel, the artist’s wife and muse, and was estimated to be worth between €650,000 and €850,000. This oil on canvas was part of a collection amassed over the years by Joris Onzea and Suzanne Govaerts and was auctioned off in Paris on Thursday.
The total amount fetched by the works of the Mechelen-born artist was €4.2 million.
Among other items sold at the auction, a set of four Dutch candlesticks by Cornelis De Haan from 1687 achieved a price of €201,600, a world record for a set of 17th-century silver candlesticks from Rotterdam, according to Christie’s.
Additionally, the Louvre Museum acquired part of King George III’s service, considered one of the largest and most important services manufactured in the late 18th century, the auction house reported.
