Maurizio Cattelan’s Solid Gold Toilet Sells for $12.1 Million at Sotheby’s Auction
Renowned artist Maurizio Cattelan made headlines once again as his shimmering 223-pound (101.2 kg) solid gold toilet, aptly named “America” (2016), was sold for a staggering $12.1 million at Sotheby’s contemporary auction held at the new Breuer Building headquarters on November 18.
Sotheby’s did not provide an estimate for the golden toilet but started the bidding at $10 million. After a tense moment with only one bidder participating, the artwork was eventually sold over the phone amidst a crowd of over 200 people at the auction house and thousands watching online.
The buyer turned out to be Mets owner Steve Cohen, who had acquired the second edition of the golden toilet in 2017 before deciding to part ways with it this year. With the price of gold soaring over 50% in the past year to $131,000 per kilogram, the value of the sculpture in gold now surpasses its auction price.
Compared to Cattelan’s controversial duct-taped banana piece, “Comedian” (2019), which was sold for $6.2 million last year, the golden toilet proves to be a more lucrative investment.
The golden toilet was originally valued at $2.5 million in 2016 and was famously attached to the plumbing system at the Guggenheim Museum, where visitors were allowed to use it. After being declined by the White House for loan, the artwork was exhibited at Blenheim Palace in England in 2019, only to be stolen and never recovered.
Sotheby’s contemporary auction also featured other notable works, including Gustav Klimt’s portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, which fetched $236.4 million, becoming the second most expensive work ever sold at auction. The auction aimed to revitalize collectors’ interest in the art market, which had seen a decline in sales in recent years.
With upcoming auctions featuring works from the collection of Cindy and Jay Pritzker, art enthusiasts can look forward to pieces like Vincent van Gogh’s “Piles de romans parisiens et roses dans une verre (Romans parisiens)” and Frida Kahlo’s “El sueño (La cama)” (1940) among others.
For those who missed out on Cattelan’s golden toilet, Sotheby’s assures that their other bathrooms work just as fine.
