Paris – A vibrant Composition by Nicolas de Staël (1914-1955) from a French collection sold for €1,173,700 and a remarkable oil on canvas by Hans Hartung (1904-1989), sold for €737,000 at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr's Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 5 December, in Paris.

The 72-lot sale made a total of €3.9 million including a selection of Arte Povera works, in alignment with the ongoing exhibition at the Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection in Paris.

Giacomo Balsamo, Bonhams International Director of Post-War & Contemporary Art, commented: "We are delighted that these works achieved the results they deserved, together with outstanding results for Nicolas de Staël, Hans Hartung and Manolo Valdès. The auction showcased works from prestigious private collections and offered signature fresh-to-market works by renowned artists."

Leading the strong selection of Arte Povera works, Untitled executed in 1977 by Mario Merz (1925-2003), a major figure of the Arte Povera movement, sold for €53,740. Another gem included in this section is Untitled (Eroe) by Pier Paolo Calzolari (born 1943) sold for €32,000.

Other Italian highlights included Candidly, 1962 by Piero Dorazio (1927-2005), described as an oil and pastel on paper laid on canvas sold for €74,060 far above its estimate of €50,000-70,000.

Other highlights of the sale include:
• Manolo Valdes (born 1942), Retrato de Amélie IV (2000) - Inspired by Matisse's famous 1913 painting, Le portrait de Madame Matisse, this painting sold for €305,200, twice its pre-sale estimate.
• Nancy Grossman (born 1940), Untitled, 1969-1970, famous in the 1960s for her sculptures of heads overlaid with leather and adorned with zippers, enamel nose and straps sold for €178,200.
• Carlos Cruz-Diez (1923-2019), Physichromie N°2818 (2019) – This chromography on aluminium, prime example of Cruz-Diez's kinetic art, sold for €82,950.
• Georges Mathieu (1921-2012), Vijnana (1958) – An early oil on canvas in Mathieu's work sold for €76,600.