At Sotheby's contemporary art auction on Tuesday night, Barnett Newman's "Onement VI" fetched a record $43.8 million for the artist. The auction was seen as a qualified success, as the total haul of $293.6 million was above the estimate of $283.9 million. There was one major disappointment at the auction however, as “Study for Portrait of P.L.,” a painting by Francis Bacon of his violent, alcohol lover Peter Lacey failed to attract a single bid despite its suggested price tag of between $30-40 million.
