McCahon’s No.2 painting sells for $671,000

McCahon’s No.2 painting sells for $671,000

A Colin McCahon painting has sold for $671,000 at Webbs auction in Auckland – the second highest price ever paid for a painting at auction in New Zealand. McCahon's symbolic number '2' was sold at Webbs’ landmark auction this week in the biggest sale of paintings at a New Zealand auction. The auction ended tonight.

McCahon’s No.2 has far reaching significance. He positioned the number two over the land to symbolically refer to New Zealand and the two main races living here.

The second best price at the major auction was $451,000 paid for Frances Hodgkins’ Still Life with Landscape. Third best price was $319,000 for McCahon's Naughts and Crosses. McCahon’s North Otago Landscape made $165,000.

The tiny 1836 watercolour by J.M.W.Turner - View of Rotterdam Harbour - made $220,000.

``The sale total of $3,370,000 is a record for any sale of paintings in this country,’’ auctioneer Peter Webb said tonight.

``And there are some works, notably the Goldie of a Waikato Chief still under negotiation. The sale ended tonight with antiques and decorative arts from the Tidswell Estate.

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