Latin American Art

Christie’s, the leader in Latin American art, has featured the most exciting art from various categories including colonial, modernist, surrealist, and contemporary works of art by recognized masters who have shaped the artistic landscape throughout the Americas. Remarkable works from prolific modernists such as Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Dr. Atl, and Alfredo Ramos Martínez whose works have broken records at Christie’s—have successfully figured prominently in the Latin American auctions. Profoundly influential artists such as Wifredo Lam, Matta, Candido Portinari, and Emiliano di Cavalcanti have been represented by compelling works that confirm their preeminent status.

Exceptional examples from Surrealists Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Gunther Gerzso, and Wolfgang Paalen as well as rare gems from artists that have defined particular turning points in the history of Latin America’s visual arts such as Mathias Goeritz, Sergio Camargo, and Jesús Rafael Soto, have been included in Christie’s vibrant sales. Contemporary masterpieces by Fernando Botero, Claudio Bravo and Tomás Sánchez, always-remarkable highlights of the auction season—have consistently been part of Christie’s Latin American sale offerings.

Christie’s holds the world auction record for Latin American art with Rufino Tamayo’s Trovador, which achieved $7.2 million (May 2008) and holds numerous world auction records including $3.5 million for a series of eight 17th century paintings by an anonymous colonial Mexican painter, featuring The Conquest of Mexico (December 1999); $1.4 million for Abaporu by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral (November 1995); $886,000 for Mulher Deitada com Peixes e Frutas by Brazilian master Emiliano di Cavalcanti (November 2000); records set by Colombian contemporary artist Fernando Botero include $2,032,000 for the The Musicians (May 2006) and $1,609,000 for Mujer fumando (November 2007); $4,072,000 for Flowers of Mexico by Mexican artist Alfredo Ramos Martínez (May 2007); and $205,000 for Pele tatuada a moda de azulejaria by Brazilian contemporary artist Adriana Varejão (November 2007). Christie’s also holds world records for Leonora Carrington’s Juggler, $713,000 (May 2008); Pedro Coronel’s La guerra florida, $457,000 (May 2008); Francisco Toledo’s Cangrejo, $622,400 (May 2007); and Jesús Rafael Soto’s Trois Columnes Blanches, $481,000 (May 2008).

Upcoming Sales from this department

  • Nov 2008 19 6:30pm

    Rockefeller Center

    Latin American Sale Evening Session

  • Nov 2008 20 10am

    Rockefeller Center

    Latin American Sale Day Session

Full Auction Calendar

Department Contact Info

Specialist Profiles

Argentina Contacts

  • Cristina Carlisle

    Tel: +541 14 393 4222
    Fax: +541 14 394 9578

Barcelona Contacts

  • Piru Cantarell de Andreu

    Tel: +34 9 34 87 8259

Chile Contacts

  • Denise Ratinoff de Lira

    Tel: +56 2 2631642
    Fax: +56 2 2083201

Madrid Contacts

  • Pablo Melendo

    Tel: +341 532 6626
    Fax: +341 532 1240

Mexico City Contacts

  • Gabriela Lobo

    Tel: +525552815503
    Fax: +525552815454

Miami Contacts

  • Vivian Pfeiffer

    Tel: +1 305 445 1487
    Fax: +1 305 441 6561

    • New York Contacts

    Rio de Janeiro Contacts

    • Candida Sodré

      Tel: +5521 539 9583
      Fax: +5521 286 8237

    Sao Paulo Contacts

    • Christina Haegler

      Tel: +5511 308 10435

    Venezuela Contacts

    • Alain Jathière

      Tel: +582 12 238 0355
      Fax: +582 12 235 7613