Max Ernst "The Stolen Mirror" 
Many people across the world will buy a particular painting because they love it. Loving and liking a painting can trigger a person to purchase a particular painting. However, all that matters apart from the liking is the choice of the painting and the way in which it has been executed. The selling and marketing strategy that is used to sell the product also matters in this case. The other things that attract people to a painting are the subject matter, the compositions and the color that is used. Studies have shown that these are the main things that mainly influence people to particular paintings.
Among the most important paintings in the world that has attracted several bids is The Stolen Mirror a work by Max Ernst. It has been leading the market for a long period especially the sales in London at Christie. The painting was recently sold at the Sotheby’s and got away with this unique artwork. However, the painting can be resold for a better price because of its value as an artwork. The annual sale featured 16 artists and 42 works that comprised of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali, Wilfredo Lam, and Rene Magritte. The painting received the highest bids above all the unique paintings that were made by other prominent painters because of the strong value that is attached to it.
Rating and Quotation of the Painting
The Stolen Mirror is regarded as among the finest works that Ernst had made during his lifetime. It is a dream-like landscape that was painted in the year 1941 a period when Ernst still had strong powers as an artist. Ernst used the decalcomania technique to manipulate the painting that he had originally acquired from Oscar Dominguez. By the year 2011, Christie auctioned the painting for $16.3million and it is expected that the price will go higher to $10.1million or $14.4million. The amount that had been sold tripled the previous record because it is regarded as the finest works.
At the beginning, the painting was to be sold at $25million which attracted five people who auctioned for it. However, the price came down to the highest bidder for that night, but that does not mean that the painting has lost value in any way. When you look at other works that were also being auctioned by Sotheby, eight of them were modern works but Ernst painting is what attracted the people most. The audiences decided to purchase Giacomettis, Magrittes, Picassos, and Kandinskys because their prices were fair.
Degree of Restoration
On that day, the Sotheby’s auction also comprised of several paintings that needed to be sold by different museums that wanted to clean their warehouses while others needed to raise money to pay for the recent purchases and others wanted to build capital that they could store for future use. The other top paintings that were being sold that day include Antibes, le Fort a painting by Monet that was done in the year 1888. The Museum of Fines Arts in the state of Boston who owned the painting hoped t fetch around $5-7million but the painting was bought at $9.2 million. This is a clear indication of the value of these old painting. They are just unique in their way and have some sense of touch that the modern paintings lack. It is the reason Ernst painting should still be sold out because it will attract more money when it is auctioned. It has both the modern and past touch of painting that anyone can relate to making it competitive and unique in its own way.
The Worth of the Painting
The work exemplifies innovative techniques that represent Ernst in all ways and has the potential to impact the current generation of the American artists. The painting has not only attracted prominent people like Robert Motherwell, but also Jackson Pollock. It has been proven that influential people must still be interested in the painting especially with the emergence of the Abstract Expressionism that this type of painting successfully presents.
Christie described this artwork as a museum quality work because of its technicality. There are several artists who tried to use the decalcomania technique but they could not thus the reason this painting has managed to sustain itself in the market for a long time. It is also oil on the Canvas a rare design employed or tried by any artist across the world. This enabled The Stolen Mirror to achieve a technique that is more remarkable to control over unpredictable process. At the beginning, Edward James owned the painting but Jimmy Ernst, the son of Ernst decided to purchase it back for it to be owned by the family. It later descended to Edith Dallas Ernst who owned it for a period of time before later selling it out. It looks like the painting returned back in the market refreshed because of its unique qualities that still does not exist in the modern world. However, the value lies on the originality and the person who did the work.
There is a possibility that The Stolen Mirror can be worth more than $16 million that it was sold. The fact that no artists have managed to copy the decalcomania technique used in the painting makes it worth much more. It can be auctioned at $25million and there is a possibility that someone will purchase it. This is because there are several aspects of modernity in the painting that one can relate to well. For instance, the nudity in the picture and the nature aspects makes it attractive and unique. Ernst developed the visionary works and techniques of the city in this particular painting. There is a highway, some sorts of forests, city, a soldier, a lake, and monuments of people. Ernst managed to express the intense feeling regarding the world events in this art which everyone can relate well to today. He managed to capture the psychological aspects of the past and the present in the painting which is unforgettable. It means that this art can relate to the past, the present and the future thus it is worth selling it at a good price which is higher than the one it was sold. It connects with the entire public bringing out the city and the country feeling a factor that will equate it to the “I like” factor which will make somebody to invest more money on it. There is no one who will purchase a painting that does not connect or relate to them in some way or another.
On the other hand, Ernst as an artist is ranked high thus his paintings are worth collecting and can also attract massive sales. All Ernst paintings are a brand that no force including the modern arts can relate to making this painting important and valuable. Anyone will be thrilled to be related to such a great artist to ever exist in history. When you own the painting, it is like owning some pieces of Ernst lifestyle making all your friends and family respect you. However, the piece itself is a statement which means that regardless of whether Ernst was a great artist or not, it will still sell at a good price. On the other hand, the painting has existed for many years and has been displayed in various state galleries. There is always financial value that is associated with an artwork getting into the galleries. This is where the values of the paintings are driven. In one way or another, the galleries has been selling the skills of Ernst, but the fact that no artist have made a similar piece of work in history is a clear indication that the painting is worth more than what it was sold. Some modern artists may argue that the painting is old schooled but the fact that it relates to the current lifestyle makes it stand the test of time and period. The painting can still be sold in the next coming 30 years at a price higher than it is today.
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Where and How the Painting can be Sold
The Stolen Mirror can be sold in Europe because it will relate more to people in this area. This is because of the design of the painting. However, many artists across the world can relate to it because of its unique nature. It means that the person selling the painting can focus on the wider market. The grand auctioning date can be announced on the media and the newspaper especially the business reviews. This is because the main target with this painting is the wealthy people in the society since they are the ones who can afford purchasing it. The target audiences are people who are known to spend their time either analyzing the market trends on the newspapers or ones in a while on the media especially the business segment.
On the other hand, handouts or posters can be put on the major streets on the various states across different parts of the world. It is important to take into consideration the political aspects before taking a particular route to advertise or auction the product. This is because it can affect the sales of the painting. For instance, the government can decide to tax the painting in such a way that will affect the sales. Many potential clients may try to avoid purchasing the painting for fear of paying much more because of the taxes. On the other hand, it is important to look at the economic aspect of a nation before deciding to sell the product. It is important to conduct the auction in nations which are stable economically since you will be sure of higher auction price.
The Current buyers or the Collections at Present
The main buyers of the painting can include art galleries and museums which would want to put the painting up as a memory for remind the people regarding the unique works of Ernst. The art galleries may also want to recognize the value of the painting and sell it in future for a good profit. They can use the profit in future for other important roles. On the other hand, the wealthy people in the society who are interested in paintings can also become potential customers for the painting.