THE FIRST art auction of the year at the SOGA auction house fetched a world-record-setting sum for a work by Hungarian artist Andrej Nemeš (Endre Nemes).
An anonymous art lover paid Sk1.42 million (€43,700) for Nemeš's Ateliér (Studio), an oil on canvas, at the auction in Bratislava on March 12, the SITA newswire wrote.
The piece is considered one of Nemeš's best works produced at the height of his artistic output. The bidding started at Sk820,000 (€25,200).
Other works were also sold for record amounts. Sediaci Akt, a nude by Ernest Zmeták, went for Sk250,000 and Znaky by Július Koller was sold for Sk130,000. An art lover paid Sk125,000 for Brezový Háj, a painting by Ľudovít Csordák, one of the key painters of 19th century Slovak art.
Nina Gažiová of SOGA told SITA the auction was a success. In total, 224 works, or 71 percent of those auctioned, were sold for a combined sum of Sk8.727 million, she said.
