In May 2019, a work by Robert Rauschenberg, made in the silkscreen printing technique, was sold at Christie’s for $88.8 million. We shall explain why.
1. The silkscreen print "Buffalo II" is considered a symbol of the American transition from the epoch of Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art (✅ cultural significance)
2. The year the work was created – 1964, is the year when the artist received the “Golden Lion” at the Venice Biennale (✅ the artist's fame at the peak of his career)
3. The work had been owned by well-known collectors for 50 years – the Mayer Family (✅ provenance)
4. The Mayer Family had officially purchased it from the gallery owner Leo Castelli (✅ gallery history of the purchase)
5. Image details: John F. Kennedy during the presidential debates, the bald eagle, Coca-cola logo, space race of the 1960s (✅ evidence of historical context).
Almost $90 million for a print – it's hard to believe. But we have not said the most important thing. The Mayer Family had acquired the work for $140,000! The price of the work grew more than 600 times!
Remember, nothing is impossible. The main thing is to approach collecting with both heart and mind
