TIMES CHANGE ART IS KING WHEN THE ARTIST IS A PIONEER
I HAD MANY NEAR MISSES OF ACQUIRING GREAT WORKS OF ART AS INDEED I ACQUIRED SOME TOO. THE BONHAMS SALE IN LONDON TODAY REMINDS ME OF A GREAT PAINTING BY BRIDGET RILEY I TRIED TO BUY AT BONHAMS, MONTPELIER IN JULY 1989.
I WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN INVESTING IN GOOD ART THEN. I HAD MONEY FROM DEALING IN ART AND THE RILEY PAINTING AT BONHAMS WAS A SHOUT OF BARGAIN AND PROMISE. ALAS THE PAINTING SOLD FOR £25,000 WELL ABOVE MY £15,000 TOP PRICE CEILING. THAT HUGE CANVAS IS WORTH CLOSE TO A MILLION POUNDS TODAY.
RILEY’S WORK APPEARS IN THE SALE OF WOMEN ARTISTS AT BONHAMS LONDON TODAY WITH AN ESTIMATE OF 50,000- 80,000 POUNDS FOR A GOOD SIZE PAINTING BUT FAR, FAR SMALLER THAN THAT HUGE CANVAS OF 1989 THAT I FAILED TO BUY.
UPDATE
SOLD FOR £105,000
PETER CONSTANT
