As many as 18 million picture Rodin

- L'Eternel Printemps, a rare sculpture of Auguste Rodin, has raised Monday during an auction at Sotheby's $ 20.4 million (almost 18 million). That is much higher than the amount for which the auction house in New York was initially assumed. Sotheby's estimated that the image, which dates from 1901/1902 and from a single block of marble carved, would yield between 8 and 12 million dollars (7 to 10.5 million).

The marble version of L'Eternel Printemps represents two lovers in an embrace for. Other versions of the image can be found, inter alia, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

It is the first time in twenty years that there appeared a marble statue by Rodin in the market.