It ain't over 'til the fat lady sleeps

AP: A Lucian Freud painting sold for $US33.64 million ($35.76m) at Christie's art auction in New York today, shattering the record for a piece by a living artist.

The British painter's 1995 portrait of a nude woman sleeping on a sofa, Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, sold for just under its high pre-sale estimate of $US35m.

The previous record of $US23.6m was set last November for a Jeff Koons sculpture, Hanging Heart.

Contemporary art sold strongly, defying erratic financial markets at a $US350m auction marked by a surprising preponderance of American buying.

"It was stupendous," said Christie's contemporary and postwar art international co-head Amy Cappellazzo, noting it was Christie's second-best contemporary result.



Gotta admit...I'm torn. On one hand, I'm tickled pink that a big, ole fat woman is the subject of a record-breakin painting. It's like...I dunno...a weird form of...validation, somehow.

"Looky here. A fat woman can be treasured...can be valuable."

She's not exactly beautiful. Not by most social norms, anyway. And she's not even really a beautiful fat woman.

But she is real. She looks like what a fat, nekkid woman looks like when she sleeps.

Anywho, so on one hand, I'm tickled. On the other, I'm puzzled.

I'm puzzled about who bought 'er. I mean, is it just some art collector who thinks that the painting's value will appreciate with age? Who's buyin her only for an investment? Who thinks the subject matter is a bit repulsive, but the "technique" is brilliant? Probably.

Or did it speak to them, somehow? In the way "art" is supposed to.

Is the buyer some filthy rich, closet fat worshipper who sees the painting as something beautiful?

Let's face it...most men who are attracted to fat women are in the closet. So to speak. They'd rather be accused of damn near anything...except havin the hots for the more...ah...zaftig of the female form.

Will she hang in a place of honor, over the fireplace in his multi-million dollar mansion? Will he look at her every day and think she was worth every penny of that 33.64 million? Will he look at her as a beautiful, real woman?

Obviously, bein a fat woman, I'd like to think that.