Rivera painting fails to sell at NY auction

NEW YORK- Agence France-Presse

Diego Rivera’s ‘Girl in Blue and White,’ featuring 10-year-old Juanita Rosas, failed to find a buyer.

Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s painting “Girl in Blue and White” failed to find a buyer despite being the main attraction at a Latin American art auction in New York, organizers said.

The 1939 painting of 10-year-old Juanita Rosas had been expected to fetch between $4 million and $6 million, but “unfortunately, it was not sold,” a spokeswoman for the Sotheby’s auction house told AFP.
In contrast, “Idol,” by Cuba’s Wilfredo Lam, sold for $4.56 million, well above its $2-3 million estimate.
“Homage to Fontana,” by Brazil’s Sergio de Camargo, sold for $1.58 million after being estimated at $600,000 to $800,000.

And “Yellow and White Vibration,” by Venezuela’s Jesus Rafael Soto, sold for $1 million, double its estimate.

The big winner at that auction, which concluded May 23, was “The Revolt of the Opposites,” by the late Chilean painter Roberto Matta, which sold for $5 million, double its expected value.