the painting , one of the largest works modigliani ever made and one of only five of his nudes ever to come up for auction , was hoped to be able to reassure the market that in an industry increasingly concerned with contemporary painters early 20th -entury masterpieces are again finding favor .
modigliani shocked europe at the turn of the painting , one of only five nudes ever auctioned , gave sotheby ’s its highest price yet but failed to set a new record for the artist nu couché ( sur le côté gauche ) , a reclining nude by the modernist master amadeo modigliani , fetched $ 157.2 m in new york on monday night – the highest price in sotheby ’s history .
painted in 1917 , three years before modigliani ’s death at the age of 35 , the picture caused a scandal when exhibited at modigliani ’s first and only solo show at galerie berthe weill in paris that
sotheby ’s says the painting had the highest pre - auction estimate for an artwork at ... ( associated press ) this 1917 oil painting , " nu couche ( sur le cote gauche ) " by amedeo modigliani , was auctioned at sotheby 's in new york for more than $ 157 million , in their impressionist & modern art evening sale monday , may 14 , 2018 .
 
 
that was emphatically true for modigliani , whose prices have for years lagged behind peers like picasso and monet .
this 1917 oil painting , " nu couche ( sur le cote gauche ) " by amedeo modigliani , was auctioned at sotheby 's in new york for more than $ 157 million , in their impressionist & modern art evening sale monday , ... ( associated press ) this 1917 oil painting , " nu couche ( sur le cote gauche ) " by amedeo modigliani , was auctioned at sotheby 's in new york for more than $ 157 million , in their impressionist & modern art evening sale monday , may 14 , 2018 .
rockefeller art collection breaks 22 world records at auction read more after a successful $ 833 m sale of items from david rockefeller ’s estate last week , nu couché was widely predicted to be a singular star of the new york spring auction season .