Painting Reaps 6,700% Return Months After the Artist’s Death
- Matthew Wong died in October just as his career was taking off
- Canadian left behind about 1,000 paintings and works on paper
Paintings by a Canadian artist who killed himself at age 35 in October are setting records this auction season.
At his New York solo debut two years ago, Matthew Wong’s new works sold for $22,000. When one of those canvases returned to the market Monday at Sotheby’s, it fetched $1.5 million excluding fees, with 59 registered bidders from 16 countries in pursuit. The seller was former Sotheby’s executive Allan Schwartzman, according to people familiar with the matter.