Degas, Picasso Sculptures Bring Record Prices in New York

A woman looks at Pablo Picasso's "Tete de femme" during Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art press preview in New York on April 29, 2022 Angela Weiss AFP/File
A woman looks at Pablo Picasso's "Tete de femme" during Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art press preview in New York on April 29, 2022 Angela Weiss AFP/File
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Degas, Picasso Sculptures Bring Record Prices in New York

A woman looks at Pablo Picasso's "Tete de femme" during Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art press preview in New York on April 29, 2022 Angela Weiss AFP/File
A woman looks at Pablo Picasso's "Tete de femme" during Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art press preview in New York on April 29, 2022 Angela Weiss AFP/File

A sculpture by Edgar Degas sold Thursday for $41.6 million at Christie's in New York, the highest price paid at auction for a work by the French artist, while a bronze by Pablo Picasso also broke a record.

The Degas sculpture -- "Petite danseuse de quatorze ans" -- is a delicate bronze with a brown patina depicting a young ballerina in a muslin skirt with a ribbon in her hair, AFP said.

It is not the original -- which is on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington -- but a cast made by Adrien-Aurelien Hebrard 10 years after the 1917 death of the impressionist.

That did not stop it from setting a new record for Degas, easily topping the previous high of 22.2 million euros set by another version of the same work in 2015.

The sculpture that sold on Thursday was one of 12 pieces from the collection of Anne Bass, an American businesswoman who died in 2020.

She was the patron of several major American museums and the New York ballet, and was the wife of billionaire oil heir Sid Bass.

Among her collection were two paintings by American expressionist Marc Rothko, of which "Untitled (Shades of red)" sold for $66.8 million, and three works by Claude Monet.

His "Parlement, soleil couchant," a dark but luminous oil on canvas, sold for $75.96 million.

Christie's also announced that Picasso's "Tete de femme (Fernande)" became the artist's most expensive bronze ever sold at auction, at $48.48 million.

The Spaniard held the record for the most expensive work of 20th Century artwork ever sold at auction until Monday night, when an iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe by American pop artist Andy Warhol brought in $195 million.

Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version '0')" had previously set the record at $179.4 million in 2015.



Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
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Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)

Discover the hidden gem of the UK's coffee culture, where vibrant independent cafes outshine the chains, offering a unique blend of flavors and atmospheres.

“Fancy a brew?” “I'll put the kettle on then.” Hearing those words are no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK, The Daily Express newspaper reported on Monday.

It said grabbing a coffee either on the go or at a café is as part of British culture these days as it is in Italy.

But while every person has its favorite chain, be it Pret, Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, nothing beats finding a decent independent coffee shop one can call home especially when it can seem high streets are dominated by the same chains.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find an independent coffee shop?

A study by Reviva Coffee reveals the UK city that is the hidden gem when it comes to thriving coffee culture.

And it probably isn't where you'd expect. In fact this county is synonymous with tea. Yorkshire Tea, to be precise.

However the study discovered the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is in the Yorkshire city of Leeds. It has a staggering 584 coffee shops, of which 86.3% are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene with 560 shops, 85% of which are independents.

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol which has 347 coffee shops, 86.3% of which are independent.