Sotheby's Auction "Origins ll" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 31, 2026. (Credit: Hamad I Mohammed)
A work by Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr set a new record Saturday in Diriyah, northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her painting "Coffee Shop in Madina Road" (1968) sold for $2.06 million during the Origins II sale organized by Sotheby’s, becoming the most expensive lot of the evening and the highest price ever achieved by a Saudi artist at auction.This result surpassed that of a Pablo Picasso work, "Paysage," which sold for $1.6 million — below its estimated range of $2 to $3 million.Binzagr’s painting was sold for more than 10 times its highest estimate. According to Sotheby’s, the sale totaled $19.6 million, exceeding its top estimate and attracting bidders from more than 40 countries. About a third of the lots were acquired by buyers based in Saudi Arabia. More about artists from the region Jean Khalifeh, a life...
A work by Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr set a new record Saturday in Diriyah, northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her painting "Coffee Shop in Madina Road" (1968) sold for $2.06 million during the Origins II sale organized by Sotheby’s, becoming the most expensive lot of the evening and the highest price ever achieved by a Saudi artist at auction.This result surpassed that of a Pablo Picasso work, "Paysage," which sold for $1.6 million — below its estimated range of $2 to $3 million.Binzagr’s painting was sold for more than 10 times its highest estimate. According to Sotheby’s, the sale totaled $19.6 million, exceeding its top estimate and attracting bidders from more than 40 countries. About a third of the lots were acquired by buyers based in Saudi Arabia. More about artists from the region Jean Khalifeh, a...
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