Venice, a View of the Rialto Bridge, Looking North, from the Fondamenta del Carbon was sold to an anonymous bidder for £26.7m at Sotheby's in London.
It was the highest price paid for any work of art sold at an international auction house so far in 2011.
It also set a new auction record for Guardi, a contemporary of Canaletto's.
According to Sotheby's Alex Bell, the "monumental" work - measuring 115 cm by 199.5 cm - is "one of Francesco Guardi's greatest masterpieces".
The sale, he added, had set "a new auction benchmark, not just for the artist but for any view painting".
The previous highest price for a Venetian view painting was set in 2005 when Canaletto's Venice - The Grand Canal from Palazzo Balbi sold for £18.6m.
The Guardi sale exceeds that reached earlier this week when a painting by horse-racing artist George Stubbs fetched £22.4m at Christie's in London.
Prior to this week, the highest price at an international auction house this year was paid for an Egon Schiele cityscape.
The work - Hauser mit bunter Wasche Vorstadt II (Houses with Colourful Laundry, Suburb II) - sold at Sotheby's in London last month for £24.7m.
Showing posts with label entertaiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertaiment. Show all posts
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Harry Potter premiere: Stars and fans bid tearful goodbye
Despite torrential rain earlier, the sun shone down as stars of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II spent more than three hours signing autographs.
Daniel Radcliffe, who has played the boy wizard since he was 11, told fans the films would be with them "for the rest of their lives".
Speaking from a stage next to Nelson's column, Potter creator Rowling thanked the actors for "the amazing things they did for my favourite characters".
Click to play
Daniel Radcliffe: "I'm just so proud of this last Harry Potter film"
Turning to the fans, she said: "Thank you for queuing up for the books for all those years, for camping out in a wet Trafalgar Square."
Fans back chanted "Thank you!" and Rowling said: "No, no, I'm already crying."
Radcliffe, who had earlier flown in from New York, said that Harry's story would never end.
"Each and every person, not just here in this square but around the world who have watched these films for the last 10 years, they will always carry the films with them for the rest of their lives," he told fans.
Michael Gambon, who plays wizard Dumbledore, told the BBC he was sad that it was all over and expressed "astonishment" at the reception.
The premiere took over the whole of Trafalgar Square
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, thanked the screaming fans saying making the films had been "the best part of my life".
Grint and co-star Emma Watson spent hours on the red carpet signing autographs.
And Clemence Poesy, who plays Fleur Delacour, said: "I'm overwhelmed by it all."
Critical praise
Fans from across the UK, and as far as China and Argentina, were in Trafalgar Square to see the cast. Many had been been staking out their spot beside the enormous red carpet since Monday.
As the stars walked the carpet, fans thrust out copies of the final Potter book to be signed.
Many were dressed in Hogwarts robes and biore lightning flashes on their foreheads.
Others waved placards reading "We're all potty about Potter", "Potter 'til I die" and "Harry Potter is over. See you in therapy".
Other cast members on the red carpet included Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley).
The carpet - which stretched three-quarters of a mile (1.2km) from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square where the film was screened - is believed to be longest in the world.
Click to play
JK Rowling on the "extraordinary" send-off for the Harry Potter films
Leicester Square, where premieres traditionally take place, is currently undergoing extensive renovation.
The entire Potter film series has so far earned more than £4 billion worldwide.
It has been 10 years since the first movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which made stars of its young cast, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint.
Critics have so far praised the seventh film, with The Sun newspaper saying "the final instalment is still brimming with the old Potter magic".
The London Evening Standard saved its highest praise for the film's technical achievement, calling the special effects "the real magic, and perhaps our last authentic industry".
Daniel Radcliffe, who has played the boy wizard since he was 11, told fans the films would be with them "for the rest of their lives".
Speaking from a stage next to Nelson's column, Potter creator Rowling thanked the actors for "the amazing things they did for my favourite characters".
Click to play
Daniel Radcliffe: "I'm just so proud of this last Harry Potter film"
Turning to the fans, she said: "Thank you for queuing up for the books for all those years, for camping out in a wet Trafalgar Square."
Fans back chanted "Thank you!" and Rowling said: "No, no, I'm already crying."
Radcliffe, who had earlier flown in from New York, said that Harry's story would never end.
"Each and every person, not just here in this square but around the world who have watched these films for the last 10 years, they will always carry the films with them for the rest of their lives," he told fans.
Michael Gambon, who plays wizard Dumbledore, told the BBC he was sad that it was all over and expressed "astonishment" at the reception.
The premiere took over the whole of Trafalgar Square
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, thanked the screaming fans saying making the films had been "the best part of my life".
Grint and co-star Emma Watson spent hours on the red carpet signing autographs.
And Clemence Poesy, who plays Fleur Delacour, said: "I'm overwhelmed by it all."
Critical praise
Fans from across the UK, and as far as China and Argentina, were in Trafalgar Square to see the cast. Many had been been staking out their spot beside the enormous red carpet since Monday.
As the stars walked the carpet, fans thrust out copies of the final Potter book to be signed.
Many were dressed in Hogwarts robes and biore lightning flashes on their foreheads.
Others waved placards reading "We're all potty about Potter", "Potter 'til I die" and "Harry Potter is over. See you in therapy".
Other cast members on the red carpet included Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley).
The carpet - which stretched three-quarters of a mile (1.2km) from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square where the film was screened - is believed to be longest in the world.
Click to play
JK Rowling on the "extraordinary" send-off for the Harry Potter films
Leicester Square, where premieres traditionally take place, is currently undergoing extensive renovation.
The entire Potter film series has so far earned more than £4 billion worldwide.
It has been 10 years since the first movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which made stars of its young cast, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint.
Critics have so far praised the seventh film, with The Sun newspaper saying "the final instalment is still brimming with the old Potter magic".
The London Evening Standard saved its highest praise for the film's technical achievement, calling the special effects "the real magic, and perhaps our last authentic industry".
Homophobia row opera to go ahead
The writer agreed to change the word to "gay" after a primary school removed 300 children from the community show.
The cancellation sparked accusations of homophobia but Bay Primary school has now said it is happy with the language.
Beached, commissioned by Opera North, will take place, as planned, in Bridlington on 15 July.
The school had complained about the lines: "Of course I'm queer/That's why I left here/So if you infer/That I prefer/A lad to a lass/And I'm working class/I'd have to concur."
Hall told BBC News: "I agreed to change "queer" to "gay" as to me they are synonymous. I would have done this months ago if asked."
The contested lines have now been changed to: "Of course I'm gay/That's why I went away/So if you infer/That I prefer/A lad to a lass/And him working class/I'd have to concur."
'Intense negotiations'
In a joint statement, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Bay Primary said the school would take part now that the libretto was "an age appropriate text".
They said they were "delighted" that the author had "addressed the points raised by the school".
The council, the school and Opera North all denied being motivated by homophobia.
They said they had never "expressed any concern over the inclusion of a gay character, only some of the language and tone around the character's identity", the statement said.
Click to play
Writer Lee Hall and Opera North director Richard Mantle discussed the controversy on BBC Breakfast
"The writer has now addressed this," it added.
But in his own statement, Hall said the school had "backed down".
"This is a real victory for people speaking up against discrimination.
"It had been an intractable situation for weeks and the school and Opera North were given no other option but to take a U-turn on their discriminatory position.
"It's clearly a victory for good sense. We cannot silence gay people or any minorities. It's a real victory for collective action."
"They tried to censor me and they failed," he added.
Beached tells the story of a single father trying and failing to have a quiet day at Bridlington beach.
Opera North, which has had a two-year residency in the town, said "intense negotiations" had been taking place since the performance was called off on Friday.
"We have been at pains to work closely with the writers at all times, and have supported their rights of artistic expression throughout," a statement from the Leeds-based company said.
"We have also worked equally hard to ensure that the schools and community groups involved in the project have positive feelings of ownership and identity within the production."
The cancellation sparked accusations of homophobia but Bay Primary school has now said it is happy with the language.
Beached, commissioned by Opera North, will take place, as planned, in Bridlington on 15 July.
The school had complained about the lines: "Of course I'm queer/That's why I left here/So if you infer/That I prefer/A lad to a lass/And I'm working class/I'd have to concur."
Hall told BBC News: "I agreed to change "queer" to "gay" as to me they are synonymous. I would have done this months ago if asked."
The contested lines have now been changed to: "Of course I'm gay/That's why I went away/So if you infer/That I prefer/A lad to a lass/And him working class/I'd have to concur."
'Intense negotiations'
In a joint statement, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Bay Primary said the school would take part now that the libretto was "an age appropriate text".
They said they were "delighted" that the author had "addressed the points raised by the school".
The council, the school and Opera North all denied being motivated by homophobia.
They said they had never "expressed any concern over the inclusion of a gay character, only some of the language and tone around the character's identity", the statement said.
Click to play
Writer Lee Hall and Opera North director Richard Mantle discussed the controversy on BBC Breakfast
"The writer has now addressed this," it added.
But in his own statement, Hall said the school had "backed down".
"This is a real victory for people speaking up against discrimination.
"It had been an intractable situation for weeks and the school and Opera North were given no other option but to take a U-turn on their discriminatory position.
"It's clearly a victory for good sense. We cannot silence gay people or any minorities. It's a real victory for collective action."
"They tried to censor me and they failed," he added.
Beached tells the story of a single father trying and failing to have a quiet day at Bridlington beach.
Opera North, which has had a two-year residency in the town, said "intense negotiations" had been taking place since the performance was called off on Friday.
"We have been at pains to work closely with the writers at all times, and have supported their rights of artistic expression throughout," a statement from the Leeds-based company said.
"We have also worked equally hard to ensure that the schools and community groups involved in the project have positive feelings of ownership and identity within the production."
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