Record Price for Max Ernst in Spotty Christie's Sale

Top lots languished in Christie's auction of Impressionist and modern art on Tuesday evening at the start of the important series of sales in New York. Among the blue-chip works failing to sell were star lots by Picasso, Giacometti, Renoir, and the iconic ballerina sculpture by Degas that was expected to fetch about $30 million, but was bid to just $18.5 million.

The sale brought $141 million total, against a pre-sale estimate of $210 million to $300 million. Less than two-thirds of 82 offered works found buyers.

High estimates may have been a factor in the cautious bidding.

Several works notably soared above estimates, including Max Ernst's "The Stolen Mirror," which quadrupled its low estimate to bring $16.3 million with commission, well above the artist's record of $4.4 million set in June of this year for his "La chute de l'ange."

Tamara De Lempicka's "Idylle (Le Départ)" fetched above estimate to bring $4.7 million. The 1931 work represents the artist's only painting of an amorous relationship between a man and a woman.

"La blonde aux boucles d'oreille," a portrait of a blonde woman by Modigliani, doubled its high estimate to bring above $8 million.

Brancusi's egg-like sculpture "Le premier cri" brought $14.87 million, above the $10 million high estimate. The 1917 piece had been in private hands for 35 years.

Two Magritte works went high at $10.2 million and $7 million. A Picasso set a world record for any print at auction. "La femme qui pleure, I," from his "Weeping Woman" series, sold for $5.1 million, doubling its high estimate.

Sotheby's sale of Impressionist and modern art is on Wednesday.