Flag Flies at Christie's Sale - Record for Jasper Johns' Flag Sells for $28.6 Million

Written by Kevin Slaughter Wednesday, 12 May 2010 20:45

NEW YORK, NY.- The quality, scope and innovative vision of the late author Michael Crichton’s collection of contemporary art compelled buyers at Christie’s on May 11. The focal point of the sale was Jasper Johns’ Flag, 1960-1966, selling for $28,642,500 million (£19,476,900/€ 22,627,575) (estimate: $10 million-$15 million), the highest price ever achieved for a work by Johns at auction. The collection realized $93,323,500 (£63,459,980/€ 73,725,565) and sold 100% by lot and by value, becoming one of the most significant collection sales ever.

Four bidders vied for the flag which took two minutes to sell ending at 6:55 pm. The winning bidder was a member of the U.S. art trade. Completed by Johns in 1966, the work, executed in encaustic, was purchased by Crichton over thirty years ago from the artist’s own collection. It was last seen in public in 1992 and was a key piece in the comprehensive and prized collection cultivated by the best-selling author of Jurassic Park.

Johns’ iconic American flag are credited with jumpstarting the Pop art movement; paving the way for the avant garde works of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein in the mid 1960’s. The previous record was for Johns’ Figure 4, 1959, encaustic and printed paper collage on canvas, sold at Christie’s in May 2005 for $17.4.

The 1960 work, a paper collage of the American flag, was purchased by Crichton from Johns in 1973, the Post reported.

Crichton hung the masterpiece in the bedroom wall of his Beverly Hills mansion. He exhibited the piece once between 1991 and 1992 for a Pop Art Review at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, according to the website.

The bestselling author of "Jurassic Park", "ER" and "Twister", had a close friendship with Johns and considered the "Flag" painting the centerpiece of his collection.

Crichton's collection included works from Roy Lichstentein, Claes Oldenburg, Jeff Koons and Pablo Picasso.

Crichton was also the creator and executive producer of the television drama ER. ER was originally slated to be a movie, directed by Steven Spielberg. However, during the early stages of pre-production, Spielberg asked Michael Crichton what his current project was. Crichton said he was working on a novel about dinosaurs and DNA. Spielberg subsequently dropped what he was doing to film this project. Afterwards, he returned to ER and helped develop the show, serving as a producer on season one.  It was also through Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment that John Wells was contacted to be the show's executive producer. In December 1994, Crichton achieved the unique distinction of having the #1 movie (Jurassic Park), the #1 TV show (ER), and the #1 book (Disclosure, atop the paperback list).

Another record was set for Mark Tansey’s Push/Pull, 2003, sold for $3, 28300 (₤2,188,580/ € 2,542,615) (estimate $800,000 to $1.2 million). The previous record for a Tansey was $3,040,000.

Further highlights included Ed Ruscha’s Voltage, 1964 that sold for $1,650,500 (₤776,900/ € 902,575) (estimate $700,000 to $1 million), Robert Rauschenberg’s Trapeze, 1964 which went for $6,354,500 (₤ 4,321,060/€ 5,020,055) (estimate $5 million to $7 million) and Andy Warhol’s Mao, 1973 that sold for $2,378,500 (₤ 1,617,380/ € 1,879,015).

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