The cover of this special section, “La Forme Du Bleu” (28 3/4 in. by 23 1/2 in.) by František Kupka, sold for $2,172,500 at Sotheby’s recent Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in New York City on Nov. 14, 2016.
Kupka, born in what is now the Czech Republic, lived a majority of his life in Paris, where he became the first artist in France to transition to total abstraction (following a period of experimenting with abstraction and portraiture). His earlier works ranged from book illustrations to satirical drawings, but he eventually studied the association between shape and color—becoming a significant figure in the Abstract and Cubism movements.
His work has been displayed at many prominent museums, including the MoMA and the Guggenheim in New York City.
