Kees van Dongen portrait of Brigitte Bardot sells for 1.35 million euros

A portrait of French actress Brigitte Bardot, titled ‘B. B. aux yeux d’autruche’ (Brigitte Bardot with ostrich eyes), was sold for 1.35 million euros during an Artcurial auction in Paris. Created by Kees van Dongen in 1959, the oil painting had remained in the artist's studio for over 60 years. The piece exceeded its initial estimate of 800,000 to 1.2 million euros following a 40-minute bidding war during Art Basel Paris week.

The portrait depicts Bardot in the years following her breakout role in the 1956 film ‘And God Created Woman’. The auction, which included 220 lots across three sessions, raised a total of 20.9 million euros. Other notable sales included a Paul Gauguin painting for 2.61 million euros and a 1981 work by Jean-Michel Basquiat for 1.06 million euros.