Seven millions for 'Figure for Landscape'

The famous bronze sculpture “Figure for Landscape” was acquired by a mysterious bidder for seven million dollars. Barbara Hepworth's piece of art was auctioned off by the famous Christie's in London.

The sculpture was owned by Stavanger Byselskap art gallery who was forced to put the work up for sale to rescue it from closure. However, the winning bid was bigger than what everyone expected. Even Christie's expected the sculpture should go for 2.5 to 3.5 million dollars.

“We are fantastically pleased with the outcome of the auction. We've got much more than we dreamed of. We can now ensure a predictable operation going forward,” said Eirik Moe, Stavanger chairman.

According to Norwegian media, the winning auction came from a Norwegian citizen who declined to reveal his identity. He had two competitor bidders, one from England and one from USA.

The bronze sculpture “Figure for Landscape” was bough in 1968 by Stavanger and has stood outside the gallery ever since. Dame Barbara Hepworth is considered one of the major British sculptures of the last century. She is one of the few women artists to achieve international prominence.