Clyfford Still Paintings Auctioned for $114.1 Million in New York

A group of four paintings by renowned American Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still has fetched a total of $114.1 million at Sotheby's contemporary art sale in New York.

Of the four Still paintings, 1949-A-No. 1 was sold for record price, thereby breaking Christie's International record sale of $21.3 million in 2006. This 20th century American painting was sought by five bidders before fetching a value more than double of the estimated price.

According to Bloomberg, the work was consigned by the city of Denver to raise money for the endowment of the Clyfford Still Museum, which opens in Denver next week.

The total value of the four Stills crossed the auction house's estimated value of $71.5 million.

All the artworks by Clyfford Still came from the estate of Patricia Still and were being sold by the city and county of Denver to further support the endowment of the new Clyfford Still Museum, which is scheduled to open Nov. 18, 2011, reports Artdaily.org.

Still is regarded as one of the most important Expressionists of the 20th century who gave a new, contemporary approach to abstract paintings in the post World War II period.

Although his artworks sold very little during his lifetime, he was later honored with a permanent museum of his own.