Koons vs. Koons: Heart Beats Diamond

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but art collectors prefer ruby-red hearts. Of the two giant Jeff Koons “Celebration” series sculptures on offer at the fall contemporary sales, “Hanging Heart (Magenta/Gold)” fetched twice as much as “Diamond (Blue).” Consigned to Sotheby’s by collector Adam Lindeman, the heart sold for a hammer price of $21 million last night, a new auction record for a living artist [cut to Damien Hirst clutching diamond-encrusted skull and sobbing quietly]. Meanwhile, at Christie’s, as we predicted, Koons’ chromium steel diamond went for a hammer price of $10.5 million, its only bid. Placing both winning bids? Art dealer Larry Gagosian, who represents Koons and could have been bidding on behalf of clients or for his gallery empire. Only the UPS man will know for sure.

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