Onement VI, Barnett Newman Painting, Auctioned For Record $43.8 Million (VIDEO)
05/14/13 10:51 PM ET EDT 
NEW YORK -- A large 1953 painting by abstract expressionist
artist Barnett Newman has sold for $43.8 million at a New York City
auction, setting an auction record for his work.
Sotheby's said Tuesday the record price for "Onement VI" (WUHN'-mehnt siks) includes the buyer's premium.
The painting is the last of six in Newman's Onement series. They're characterized by what's called the zip, a distinctive stripe running down the center of the canvas. Four are in museum collections.
"Onement V" sold at auction last year for $22.4 million, the artist's previous auction record.
Newman was an exhibitions organizer of the newly opened Betty Parson Gallery in 1946. He played a vital role in the careers of Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and others. He also influenced the next generation of artists including Frank Stella.
Newman died in 1970.
Sotheby's said Tuesday the record price for "Onement VI" (WUHN'-mehnt siks) includes the buyer's premium.
The painting is the last of six in Newman's Onement series. They're characterized by what's called the zip, a distinctive stripe running down the center of the canvas. Four are in museum collections.
"Onement V" sold at auction last year for $22.4 million, the artist's previous auction record.
Newman was an exhibitions organizer of the newly opened Betty Parson Gallery in 1946. He played a vital role in the careers of Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and others. He also influenced the next generation of artists including Frank Stella.
Newman died in 1970.
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