Damien Hirst has had a long innings as Britain’s most expensive living artist. But now he has a real challenger in painter Peter Doig who is known for his colorful, abstracted landscapes. Hirst’s most expensive work so far is his Golden Calf, a Dead Cow which he has done in formaldehyde. The painting had fetched a whopping £10.3 million ($17.3 million) in 2008. But Doig’s Country Rock which depicts a rainbow-colored bridge as seen from inside a car, according to experts and their pre sale estimates has the potential to go beyond the valuation of Hirst’s most expensive work. Doig’s valuable painting is listed to be auctioned by Sothebys under their contemporary art auctions to be held on June 30th in London.
Doig’s painting has been in the news in the art circles for some time now. The painter’s work has been appreciated by both admirers and experts for its attention to detail, careful brush strokes and use of color. Experts believe it to be his best work so far. The painting was made in 1999 and has since then been held in the same private collection. It is coming to the open market for the first time which has added to the excitement amongst serious collectors. It is being offered for auction as part of a set of three paintings.
Daig has made steady progress in terms of valuation of his work. His own record of the most expensive work auctioned has been broken twice in the last two years. In the list of Top 100 living artists, Doig is six place behind Hirst but he is catching up fast as the prices of Hirst’s works have actually fallen in recent times. With valuations of Doig’s works rising steadily he is bound to snatch the title of Britain’s most expensive living artist. However he is not unduly excited about the whole thing and has a very balanced approach towards his work. He says that he never thinks about how much the things will eventually be worth when he is painting.
Via: news.artnet
