Born in 1972 in Dublin, Genieve Figgis has established herself as one of the most distinctive painters of her generation, reanimating the language of European portraiture through a radically fluid and destabilized approach. Largely self-directed in her artistic development, Figgis emerged relatively late on the international stage, gaining visibility through social media before being embraced by major galleries.
Her work is deeply informed by art history—particularly 18th-century British and French portraiture—yet it is filtered through a contemporary sensibility that embraces accident, distortion, and material instability. This dual anchoring, between historical reference and painterly dissolution, defines her unique position within contemporary figurative painting.
Introduction
Born in Dublin in 1972, Genieve Figgis has emerged as one of the most singular and unsettling voices in contemporary painting. Known for her haunting reinterpretations of aristocratic scenes and Old Master compositions, Figgis’s rise has been anything but conventional. After years of quietly painting at her kitchen table in Ireland, she first gained international attention in 2013 when she posted her work on Twitter and Instagram. The American artist Richard Prince noticed her early digital presence and helped introduce her to the New York art world. A year later, Figgis made her U.S. debut with the solo exhibition Yes Captain at Harper’s Books in East Hampton—a pivotal moment that launched a remarkable global career.
Figgis completed her BFA at Gorey School of Art in 2006, followed by a BA in painting at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 2007. She earned her MFA there in 2012, developing a visual language that fused classical themes with macabre humor. Today, she lives and works in County Wicklow, Ireland, while exhibiting regularly across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Figgis’s oeuvre is not organized into rigidly defined series in the traditional sense, but rather into recurring thematic constellations that evolve over time. Her most recognizable body of work revolves around distorted aristocratic portraits and group scenes, directly referencing the visual codes of artists such as Gainsborough or Fragonard. Figures dressed in period costumes, powdered wigs, elaborate gowns, appear to melt, dissolve, or blur into their surroundings. Faces drip, features collapse, and identities become unstable.
Closely related are her social tableaux and interior scenes, where groups of figures gather in ambiguous, often theatrical settings. These compositions evoke salons, banquets, or courtly gatherings, yet the atmosphere is far from celebratory. There is a pervasive sense of unease, as if these figures were ghosts reenacting rituals emptied of meaning. Another important thread lies in her reinterpretations of canonical imagery. Rather than quoting specific paintings directly, Figgis absorbs the stylistic language of art history and reconfigures it into new, unsettling compositions. This approach places her work within a lineage of artists engaging in dialogue with the past, while avoiding straightforward appropriation. Across these bodies of work, figuration is always on the verge of collapse—recognizable yet unstable, elegant yet grotesque.
Mediums and Technical Approach
Figgis’s practice is defined by a highly distinctive handling of paint, where control and accident coexist in a delicate balance. Her paintings, often executed in oil or heavily diluted acrylic, are characterized by a fluid, almost aqueous application. Pigment is allowed to bleed, pool, and drip across the surface, creating forms that seem to emerge organically rather than being constructed. This technique undermines the solidity traditionally associated with portraiture, replacing it with a sense of instability and transformation. The backgrounds and figures frequently merge, erasing clear spatial distinctions.
Unlike many of her contemporaries, Figgis has remained largely focused on two-dimensional media. Sculpture does not occupy a central role in her practice; instead, the physicality of paint itself becomes the site of exploration. The liquidity of her materials functions almost sculpturally on the surface, creating subtle reliefs and textures that catch the light.
Inspirations and Art Historical Dialogue
Figgis’s work is deeply rooted in the visual language of 18th-century European painting. Artists such as Fragonard, Gainsborough, and Hogarth serve as key points of reference—not in terms of direct quotation, but as stylistic and conceptual frameworks.
What she inherits from these traditions is not merely costume or composition, but a certain theatricality and social commentary. However, where the Rococo celebrated elegance and pleasure, Figgis introduces decay and ambiguity. Her figures appear as spectral remnants of a bygone social order, their dissolution suggesting the fragility of power, identity, and representation. There is also a subtle connection to more modern sensibilities—particularly the grotesque distortions found in artists like Francis Bacon—though Figgis’s tone is quieter, more insidious, and often laced with a dark, almost absurd humor.
At the heart of Figgis’s practice is a deliberate disruption of the rules of traditional portraiture. Drawing from the grandeur of Rococo and Baroque masters—Fragonard, Boucher, Goya, and Velázquez—she dismantles the illusions of nobility, exposing the grotesque realities beneath the surface of opulence. Her canvases teem with distorted faces, melting eyes, and skeletal grins, rendered in thick, almost oozing paint. This visceral, wet-on-wet technique—a blend of oil and acrylic—creates swirling, marbled textures that seem to devour their own beauty. Figgis often completes her works in a single sitting, allowing gravity and instinct to take part in the creation. The result is a body of work that embraces failure, unpredictability, and chaos. In Figgis’s world, luxury collapses into absurdity, power into parody. Her paintings are not just visual; they are performative gestures—playful rebellions that subvert the historical canon while acknowledging its seductive hold.
Exhibition History and Institutional Presence
Figgis has exhibited widely across Europe and the United States, with solo shows in Dublin, London, Paris, and New York. Her exhibitions often emphasize the immersive quality of her work, with densely hung walls that echo the historical salons she references, while simultaneously subverting them.
While her institutional presence continues to grow, her trajectory has been notably gallery-driven, with strong support from leading contemporary galleries facilitating her international recognition and placement in significant private collections.
Gallery Representation
Genieve Figgis is represented internationally by Almine Rech, which has played a central role in expanding her visibility across major art capitals. Through exhibitions in Paris, London, Brussels, and New York, the gallery has positioned her within a global collector network.
She also maintains a strong relationship with Kerlin Gallery, one of Ireland’s leading galleries, which anchors her presence within her home context and contributes to the continuity of her career.
This dual representation—local and international—provides both stability and expansion, allowing her work to circulate broadly while remaining rooted in a coherent artistic narrative.
What makes Figgis’s oeuvre so compelling is its refusal to resolve. Her paintings straddle the line between elegance and nightmare, homage and sabotage. In doing so, she opens a portal to a strange and poetic realm—a place where power decays in pastel puddles, and history trembles beneath its own ornamental weight.
PART I: SUMMARY
Auction Market Overview
2025 AUCTION STATISTICS
Turnover: USD 458,144
-9.9% vs. 2024
# Lots sold: 12 Lots
Sell-Through Rate: 92%
The market for Genieve Figgis has developed rapidly, particularly following her representation by major galleries. Her paintings have achieved strong results at auction, with increasing demand from collectors interested in contemporary figurative painting that engages critically with art history.
2025 Auction Highlights
12 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 458,144 With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 92%. The highest price for 2025 was achieved by Lady with a Dog, a painting dated 2019 from The Edlis Neeson Collection, that sold at Christie’s, in New-York, on 20 November 2025, for USD 82,550.
2025 Top 3 Lots
3 lots sold for more than USD 50,000 in 2025, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 208,095, representing 45.4% of the total turnover for 2025.
2024 Auction Highlights
9 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 508,430. With 4 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 69%. The highest price for 2024 was achieved for Ladies in the Grass, a painting dated 2015 that sold at Christie’s in Hong-Kong, on 27 September 2024, for HKD 819,000 (USD 105,275).
2024 Top 3 Lots
2 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 206,075, representing 40.5% of the total turnover for 2024.
2023 Auction Highlights
17 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 1,595,610. With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 89%. The highest price for 2023 was achieved by Portal, a painting dated 2018, that sold at Christie’s in London on 1 March 2023 for GBP 189,000 (USD 227,420). 6 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 992,960, representing 62% of the total turnover for 2023.
2023 Top 3 Lots
Top Lots
#1. Debutants Ball, 2017
Christie’s Shanghai: 1 March 2022
Estimated: CNY 800,000 – 1,200,000
CNY 4,032,000 / USD 638,715
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Debutants Ball | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Debutants Ball, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
150×150 cm (59×59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2017’ (on the reverse)
#2. Wedding Party, 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 4 December 2020
Estimated: HKD 550,000 – 850,000
HKD 4,410,000 / USD 568,985
READ MORE IN FOCUS SECTION
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 106 December 2020 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Wedding Party, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×150 cm (39 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2019’ on the reverse
#3. The Visit of Venus to Vulcan, 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 7 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 2,520,000 / USD 568,985
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 102 June 2021 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
The Visit of Venus to Vulcan, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120×80 cm (47 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ on the reverse
#4. Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 25 November 2019
Estimated: HKD 250,000 – 400,000
HKD 2,375,000 / USD 303,475
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 102 November 2019 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120.2 x 150 cm (47 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ on the reverse
PART II: AUCTION RESULTS
2025 Auction Results
12 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 458,144 With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 92%. The highest price for 2025 was achieved by Lady with a Dog, a painting dated 2019 from The Edlis Neeson Collection, that sold at Christie’s, in New-York, on 20 November 2025, for USD 82,550.
2025 Top 3 Lots
3 lots sold for more than USD 50,000 in 2025, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 208,095, representing 45.4% of the total turnover for 2025.
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#1. Lady With A Dog, 2019
Edlis Neeson Collection
Christie’s New-York: 20 November 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 82,550
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Lady With A Dog | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Lady With A Dog, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
99.8 x 119.6 cm (39-3/8 x 47-1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2019’ (on the reverse)
#2. Family Day Out, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 27 February 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 69,300
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Family Day Out | Christie’s
REPEAT SALE
Christie’s New-York: 10 November 2023
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 81,900
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Family Day Out | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Family Day Out, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
99.7 x 149.9 cm (39 1/4 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
#3. Ladies with Handbags, 2020
Christie’s online: 30 May 2025
Estimated: HKD 200,000 – 400,000
HKD 441,000 / USD 56,245
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Ladies with Handbags | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Ladies with Handbags, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
120 x 99.5 cm (47 1/4 x 39 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2020’ (on the reverse)
#4. Mauve room, 2021
Sotheby’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 48,260
Mauve room | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Mauve room, 2021
Acrylic and glitter on canvas
99×120 cm (39 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 2021 (on the reverse)
#5. Till Our Daddy Comes Home, 2018
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 28 November 2025
Estimated: HKD 100,000 – 200,000
HKD 279,400 / USD 35,895
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Till Our Daddy Comes Home | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Till Our Daddy Comes Home, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
180×120 cm (70-7/8 x 47-1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#6. Napoleon, 2022
Phillips London: 3 December 2025
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 25,800 / USD 34,395
Genieve Figgis New Now: Modern & Contemporary Art
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Napoleon, 2022
Acrylic and oil on canvas
80×100 cm (31-1/2 x 39-3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2022’ on the reverse
#7. Sunday Tea in the Garden, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 20 November 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 31,750
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Sunday Tea in the Garden | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Sunday Tea in the Garden, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 81.3 cm (24×32 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
#8. Ballroom, 2014
Phillips London: 24 October 2025
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 21,930 / USD 29,205
Genieve Figgis Modern & Contemporary Art: Online Auction, London
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Ballroom, 2014
Acrylic on panel
60.7 x 55.1 cm (23-7/8 x 21-3/4 inches)
Signed, titled and dated ‘Genieve Figgis (2014), Ballroom’ on the reverse
#9. Marie Antoinette, 2022
Phillips London: 18 October 2025
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 18,060 / USD 24,285
Genieve Figgis Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale
Acrylic on canvas
79.7 x 59.8 cm (31-3/8 x 23-1/2 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2022’ on the reverse
#10. Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 September 2025
Estimated: HKD 200,000 – 400,000
HKD 152,400 / USD 19,590
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel) | Christie’s
REPEAT SALE
Phillips Hong-Kong: 25 November 2019
Estimated: HKD 250,000 – 400,000
HKD 2,375,000 / USD 303,475
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 102 November 2019 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120.2 x 150 cm (47 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#11. Untitled, 2014
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 July 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 15,240
Untitled | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Untitled, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
59.7 x 79.4 cm (23 1/2 x 31 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 2014 (on the reverse)
#12. Gentleman with a Green Feather, 2016
Sotheby’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 11,430
Gentleman with a Green Feather | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Gentleman with a Green Feather, 2016
Acrylic on panel
38.1 x 27.9 cm (15 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches)
Lots Passed
Ladies Picnic (Déjeuner sur l’herbe), 2014
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 March 2025
Estimated: HKD 450,000 – 550,000
PASSED
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Ladies Picnic (Déjeuner sur l’herbe) | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Ladies Picnic (Déjeuner sur l’herbe), 2014
Acrylic on canvas
59.9 x 79.3 cm (23 5/8 x 31 1/4 inches)
2024 Auction Results
9 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 508,430. With 4 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 69%. The highest price for 2024 was achieved for Ladies in the Grass, a painting dated 2015 that sold at Christie’s in Hong-Kong, on 27 September 2024, for HKD 819,000 (USD 105,275).
2024 Top 3 Lots
2 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 206,075, representing 40.5% of the total turnover for 2024.
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#1. Ladies in the Grass, 2015
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 September 2024
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 800,000
HKD 819,000 / USD 105,275
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Ladies in the Grass | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Ladies in the Grass, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
59.7 x 79.7 cm (23 1/2 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2015’ (on the reverse)
#2. A Social Portrait, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 17 May 2024
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 100,800
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), A Social Portrait | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
A Social Portrait, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
60 x 79.7 cm (23 1/2 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
USD 100,000
#3. Way to Nowhere, 2014
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 6 April 2024
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 1,000,000
HKD 635,000 / USD 81,100
Genieve Figgis 熱尼維 · 菲吉斯 | Way to Nowhere 無處之路 | Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Way to Nowhere, 2014
Oil on wooden panel
61×91 cm (24 x 35 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated 2014 on the reverse
#4. Floating Beauties, 2019
Christie’s Shanghai: 7 November 2024
Estimated: CNY 300,000 – 500,000
CNY 453,600 / USD 63,715
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Floating Beauties | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Floating Beauties, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
150×180 cm (59 x 70 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2019’ (on the reverse)
#5. A Quick Squeeze Under the Arch, 2016
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 20 March 2024
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 403,200 / USD 51,540
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), A Quick Squeeze Under the Arch | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
A Quick Squeeze Under the Arch, 2016
Acrylic on panel
49.8 x 39.8 cm (15 5/8 x 15 11/16 inches)
Signed, titled and dated ‘genieve figgis 2016’ ‘a quick squeeze’ (on the reverse)
#6. Untitled, 2018
Christie’s online: 17 July 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,240
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b.1972), Untitled | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b.1972)
Untitled, 2018
Acrylic on board
50×60 cm (195/8 x 23 5/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#7. Fishing, 2014
Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 27,940
Untitled | Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Fishing, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
62.9 x 76.2 cm (24 3/4 x 30 inches)
Signed, titled and dated 2014 (on the reverse)
#8. Untitled, 2015
Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 26,400
Untitled | Contemporary Discoveries | 2024 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Untitled, 2015
Acrylic on linen
49.8 x 69.9 cm (19 5/8 x 27 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated 2015 (on the reverse)
#9. Untitled, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 4 June 2024
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 21,420
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b.1972), Untitled | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b.1972)
Untitled, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
40 x 49.5 cm (15 3/4 x 19 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
Lots Passed
Louis XIV on his Horse, 2021
Sotheby’s London: 7 March 2024
Estimated: GBP 40,000 – 60,000
PASSED
Louis XIV on his Horse | Modern & Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Louis XIV on his Horse, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
120.4 x 100 cm (47 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated 2021 (on the reverse)
2023 Auction Results
17 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 1,595,610.
With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 89%. The highest price for 2023 was achieved by Portal, a painting dated 2018, that sold at Christie’s in London on 1 March 2023 for GBP 189,000 (USD 227,420). 6 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 992,960, representing 62% of the total turnover for 2023.
2023 Top 3 Lots
#1. Portal, 2018
Christie’s London: 1 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 189,000 / USD 227,420
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Portal | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Portal, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
150×150 cm (59×59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#2. Flirting Gentleman, 2019
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 28 May 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 1,800,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 193,055
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Flirting Gentleman | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Flirting Gentleman, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
160×200 cm (63 x 78 3/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve Figgis 2019’ (on the reverse)
#3. Social Portrait, 2020
Christie’s Shanghai: 23 September 2023
Estimated: CNY 300,000 – 500,000
CNY 1,260,000 / USD 172,650
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Social Portrait | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Social Portrait, 2020
Oil on canvas
120×150 cm (47 1/4 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2020’ (on the reverse)
#4. Madame de Pompadour (after Boucher), 2016
Christie’s New-York: 12 May 2023
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 151,200
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Madame de Pompadour (after Boucher) | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Madame de Pompadour (after Boucher), 2016
Acrylic on canvas
99.7 x 80 cm (39 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches)
Signed, titled and dated ‘genieve figgis 2016 Madam Pompadour after Boucher’ (on the reverse)
#5. Lusty Ladies, 2019
Sotheby’s New-York: 16 November 2023
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 127,000
Lusty Ladies | Contemporary Day Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Lusty Ladies, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
120×120 cm (47 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 2019 (on the reverse)
#6. The Surprise (after Fragonard), 2018
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 6 October 2023
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 952,500 / USD 121,635
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
The Surprise (after Fragonard), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
100 x 79.8 cm (39 3/8 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated 2018 on the reverse
USD 100,000
#7. Gentleman on A Horse with His Dog, 2016
Sotheby’s New-York: 9 March 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 82,550
Gentleman on A Horse with His Dog | Contemporary Curated | 2023 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Gentleman on A Horse with His Dog, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
60 x 50.2 cm (23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches)
Signed Genieve Figgis, titled and dated 2016 (on the reverse)
#8. Family Day Out, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 10 November 2023
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 81,900
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Family Day Out | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Family Day Out, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
99.7 x 149.9 cm (39 1/4 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
#9. The Three Graces (after Rubens), 2018
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 November 2023
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 630,000 / USD 80,825
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), The Three Graces (after Rubens) | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
The Three Graces (after Rubens), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120×100 cm (47 1/4 x 39 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#10. 17th Century Family, 2018
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 November 2023
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 800,000
HKD 630,000 / USD 80,825
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), 17th Century Family | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
17th Century Family, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
100×140 cm (39 3/8 x 55 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#11. Downstairs, 2014
Christie’s New-York: 10 March 2023
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 75,600
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Downstairs | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Downstairs, 2014
Acrylic on panel
61×67 cm (24 x 26 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2014’ (on the reverse)
#12. Flying Bed, 2016
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 May 2023
Estimated: HKD 450,000 – 550,000
HKD 441,000 / USD 56,285
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Flying Bed | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Flying Bed, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
119.4 x 119.4 cm (47×47 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2016’ (on the reverse)
#13. Family Wedding, 2014
Phillips London: 3 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 38,100 / USD 45,525
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Conte… Lot 254 March 2023 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Family Wedding, 2014
Oil on board
45.5 x 61 cm (17 7/8 x 24 inches)
Signed, titled and dated ‘Genieve Figgis Family Wedding (2014)’ on the reverse
#14. Untitled, 2018
Christie’s London: 14 October 2023
Estimated: GBP 35,000 – 55,000
GBP 31,500 / USD 38,195
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Untitled | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Untitled, 2018
Oil on canvas
60 x 79.8 cm (23 5/8 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#15. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (After Picasso), 2015
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 28 February 2023
Estimated: HKD 150,000 – 300,000
HKD 279,400 / USD 35,595
WORK ON PAPER
REPEAT SALE
Phillips Hong-Kong: 9 July 2020
Estimated: HKD 80,000 – 120,000
HKD 362,500 / USD 46,775
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 115 July 2020 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (After Picasso), 2015
Acrylic on paper
22.5 x 21 cm (8 7/8 x 8 1/4 inches)
Signed, titled and dated 2015 on the reverse
#16. Family Portrait, 2013
Phillips London: 6 December 2023
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 13,970 / USD 17,595
Genieve Figgis – New Now London Lot 11 December 2023 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Family Portrait, 2013
Acrylic on panel
40.1 x 30.7 cm (15 3/4 x 12 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2013’ on the reverse
#17. Regent, 2013
Phillips London: 26 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 6,000 – 8,000
GBP 6,350 / USD 7,755
Genieve Figgis – Heatwave: Online … Lot 85 September 2023 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Regent, 2013
Oil on panel
35.8 x 25.5 cm (14 1/8 x 10 inches)
Signed, titled and dated ‘Genieve Figgis ‘Regent’ (2013)’ on the reverse
Lots Passed
The Last Night, 2014
Phillips New-York: 15 November 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
PASSED
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 381 November 2023 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
The Last Night, 2014
Oil on canvas
99.1 x 68.6 cm (39×27 inches)
Signed and dated “Genieve Figgis 2014” on the reverse
2022 Auction Results
#1. Debutants Ball, 2017
Christie’s Shanghai: 1 March 2022
Estimated: CNY 800,000 – 1,200,000
CNY 4,032,000 / USD 638,715
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Debutants Ball | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Debutants Ball, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
150×150 cm (59×59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2017’ (on the reverse)
#2. Pink Ballroom, 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,500,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,016,000 / USD 256,815
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contemp… Lot 44 June 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Pink Ballroom, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
150 x 150.2 cm (59 x 59 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve figgis 2018’ on the reverse
#3. Friends in the Studio, 2016
Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 800,000
HKD 1,764,000 / USD 224,705
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 118 June 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Friends in the Studio, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
80×100 cm (31 1/2 x 39 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2016’ on the reverse
#4. The Gathering, 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 193,575
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 115 November 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
The Gathering, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×150 cm (39 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2019’ on the reverse
#5. Couple in the Cream Room, 2017
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 800,000
HKD 1,386,000 / USD 176,570
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Couple in the Cream Room | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Couple in the Cream Room, 2017
Oil on canvas
99.8 x 79.6 cm (39 1/4 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2017’ (on the reverse)
#6. Lady with a Dog (After Gainsborough), 2019
Poly Hong-Kong: 10 October 2022
Estimated: HKD 650,000 – 850,000
HKD 1,320,000 / USD 168,155
Lady with a Dog (After Gainsborough)｜Poly Auction Hong Kong
#7. Romeo and Juliet on a Horse, 2016
Phillips New-York: 9 March 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 163,800
Genieve Figgis – New Now New York Lot 11 March 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Romeo and Juliet on a Horse, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
119.4 x 100.3 cm (47 x 39 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated “Genieve Figgis 2016” on the reverse
#8. Lady with a Cat, 2019
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 1 December 2022
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 1,260,000 / USD 161,435
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Lady with a Cat | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Lady with a Cat, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
120×100 cm (47 1/4 x 39 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2019’ (on the reverse)
#9. Friends in the Library, 2017
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 500,000 – 700,000
HKD 1,260,000 / USD 160,520
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Friends in the Library | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Friends in the Library, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
60 x 79.7 cm (23 5/8 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2017’ (on the reverse)
#10. The Seance, 2018
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 21 January 2022
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 1,187,500 / USD 152,490
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), The Seance | Christie’s
REPEAT SALE
Phillips London: 21 October 2020
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 65,520 / USD 85,565
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Con… Lot 111 October 2020 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
The Seance, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120×120 cm (47 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
#11. Tapestry Banquet, 2019
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 7 October 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 1,134,000 / USD 144,460
Genieve Figgis 熱尼維・菲吉斯 | Tapestry Banquet 掛毯宴會 | Contemporary Evening Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Tapestry Banquet, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×120 cm (39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 2019 on the reverse
#12. Ladies Drinking, 2016
Phillips London: 28 April 2022
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 113,400 / USD 142,000
Genieve Figgis – New Now London Lot 15 April 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Ladies Drinking, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
60×80 cm (23 5/8 x 31 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2017’ on the reverse
#13. Library, 2015
Sotheby’s New-York: 11 March 2022
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 138,600
Library | Contemporary Curated | 2022 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
Library, 2015
Acrylic on linen
50.8 x 69.9 cm (20 x 27 1/2 inches)
Signed Genieve Figgis and dated 2016 (on the verso)
#14. In a Boat, 2014
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 27 April 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 1,008,000 / USD 128,480
Genieve Figgis 熱尼維・菲吉斯 | In a Boat 船上 | Contemporary Evening Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (b. 1972)
In a Boat, 2014
Acrylic on panel
91.4 x 121.9 cm (36×48 inches)
#15. Blue Boat, 2014
Phillips New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 94,500
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contemp… Lot 386 May 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Blue Boat, 2014
Acrylic on canvas
80 x 99.7 cm (31 1/2 x 39 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated “Genieve Figgis 2014” on the reverse
PART III: FOCUS
Record Breakers
The Visit of Venus to Vulcan, 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 7 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 2,520,000 / USD 568,985
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 102 June 2021 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
The Visit of Venus to Vulcan, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120×80 cm (47 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ on the reverse
François Boucher, The Visit Of Venus To Vulcan, 1754
Wedding Party, 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 4 December 2020
Estimated: HKD 550,000 – 850,000
HKD 4,410,000 / USD 568,985
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 106 December 2020 | Phillips
GENEVIEVE FIGGIS
Wedding Party, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×150 cm (39 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2019’ on the reverse
Genieve Figgis is a contemporary Irish painter known for her witty and subversive group portraits which satirise social norms of centuries past. Lampooning Western commercial consumption and the bourgeois tastes of the rich middle-class as dutifully captured by artists of the past, Figgis brings such subjects firmly into the present day with a mixture of satire and poignant real depictions of life.
Alexi Lubomirski / Courtesy of @KensingtonRoyal
Wedding Party was unveiled at the artist’s 2019 ‘High Society’ exhibition at the Baldwin Gallery, Aspen. It chronicles the wedding celebrations of Britain’s Prince Harry and American Meghan Markle in England in 2018, and directly references one of the official family portraits taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. Lushly painted textures and playful details, the hallmarks of Figgis’s work, are all present – the rich velvety teal walls, the frothy pink tulle of the bride’s wedding dress and iridescent blooms clutched in her hands, the carefully-rendered frogging of the pageboy outfits, and the bright pink feathered headpiece of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Figgis posits herself as a postmodern chronicler of social and cultural norms and anxieties, and the subjects of Wedding Party do not escape this treatment. Figgis’s signature technique of swirling dripped or thickly applied acrylic paints causes her genteel subjects to melt and bleed where they stand. In this surreal, otherworldly tableau the groom is reduced to a puddle of flame-colored hair and beard, whilst his bride’s face is defined by a raspberry-red gaping mouth and a few delicate white teeth. Meanwhile Prince William is a powdered white visage with bulging eyes and rictus grin, and the little faces of the pageboys and girls at the happy couple’s feet show a range of ghoulish expressions. With her ironic yet incisive commentary on high society, Figgis’s vision perhaps foreshadows the controversies that would dog the marriage in the months and years to come, culminating with the flight of the couple to Canada and then the United States in 2020.
Installation view, High Society at Baldwin Gallery in 2019.
Left: Genieve Figgis, Arty Party, 2019
An unconventional rising star in the art world, Figgis was a relative latecomer to painting but caught the attention of the American visual artist Richard Prince on Twitter, who went on to purchase one of her works and introduced her to the New York art scene. She is represented by Almine Rech Gallery in London and Half Gallery in New York.
Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 25 November 2019
Estimated: HKD 250,000 – 400,000
HKD 2,375,000 / USD 303,475
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 102 November 2019 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel), 2018
Acrylic on canvas
120.2 x 150 cm (47 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ on the reverse
First unveiled as part of the third instalment of the international biennial, L’Almanach 18: Genieve Figgis, at the Dijon Consortium Museum in France among fifteen other oils on canvas, Birth of Venus (After Alexandre Cabanel) is a prime example of the artist’s pursuit and exploration of history as a constant starting point for her work. One of the many alluring nudes on view at the Paris Salon of 1863, Alexandre Cabanel’s Birth of Venus (1863) was received in triumph as it perfectly embodied the ideals of academic art, with highly idealised bodies carefully modelled in silky brushstrokes, and more importantly, set against the backdrop of a mythological and allegorical ‘pretext’. While Cabanel’s Birth of Venus was shown to great acclaim at the official Salon, one other work caused great controversy at the Salon des Refusés (the Salon for the rejected), Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, where he featured a female nude in a contemporary setting seated with two clothed men in the countryside, thereby transgressing the rules of academic painting and scandalising contemporary morals. Looking to Cabanel’s masterpiece as her main source of inspiration, Genieve Figgis makes a bold statement. She puts her own contemporary spin on the classical subject that was once seen to embody the perfect ideals of academic painting, not shying away from questioning the validity of taste and bringing home the importance of non-conformity when it comes to originality and the personal vision of the artist.
ALEXANDRE CABANEL (1823-1889)
The Birth of Venus, 1863
Oil on canvas
130×225 cm (51 1/8 x 88 1/2 inches)
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Reinterpreting the classical female character in a whimsical and humorous manner, Figgis renders Venus with skull-like and animalistic features, bathed in rich and eye candy colours that seemed to melt through paint, like candle wax, calling to mind the small figures that remind us of our childhood. “The women in the paintings are reinventions of historical portraits. I like to paint them as more vibrant characters, braver more colour and alive” she explained, dissolving their forms against each other and blurring the contours of their bodies with the same assurance as a deforming mirror in a fun house, yet retaining a dreamlike quality. It is this very coexistence of the whimsical and macabre that makes the present lot all the more charming with a combination of apparent pictorial banality with an otherworldly quality, where Figgis’s Venus hovers between an ancient deity and a modern dream. While Figgis never sets out to intentionally portray grotesque or comedic in her work, the painting is her stage and the story she paints happen by chance, allowing her to invent and direct as she goes along, with a blend of continuous and sinuous acrylic brushstrokes, with no idea of how it will end. The result is of a fascinating moment, in which the old times are reflected on contemporaneity and her figures repeat themselves masked under the different cosmetics of time.
Other Paintings
Family Portrait, 2013
Phillips London: 6 December 2023
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 13,970 / USD 17,595
Genieve Figgis – New Now London Lot 11 December 2023 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Family Portrait, 2013
Acrylic on panel
40.1 x 30.7 cm (15 3/4 x 12 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2013’ on the reverse
Genieve Figgis’ work scrutinises images of historic aristocracy through a delightfully macabre lens. The Irish artist’s source material varies from Rococo painting to archival photography, each with the figures reimagined in loosely applied paint, baring ghoulishly altered facial expressions. Family Portrait from 2013 is based on a photograph taken of King George VI, the Queen consort and the young princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in 1938, later used as the family’s Christmas card. The image, taken by Marcus Adams depicts the smartly dressed but casually posed.
They are a united group, linked by hands or arms and convey the stability George VI aimed for following the scandal of his brothers’ abdication and his subsequent coronation the year before. Figgis’ figures mirror the composition, executed in a moody sepia palette but the faces are wildly distorted. The King and Princess Elizabeth’s eyes are punctuated with a swirl or green and purple and The Queen and Princess Margaret’s blend into the brown and beige tones of the background. Figgis’ approach can be seen as a playful reaction to the carefully constructed nature of the portrait and the notion of an idealised façade within the monarchy and aristocracy.
Untitled, 2018
Christie’s London: 14 October 2023
Estimated: GBP 35,000 – 55,000
GBP 31,500 / USD 38,195
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972), Untitled | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B.1972)
Untitled, 2018
Oil on canvas
60 x 79.8 cm (23 5/8 x 31 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
Opulent yet haunting, Untitled is emblematic of Genieve Figgis’ signature style. Here she takes François Boucher’s L’Odalisque Blonde (1752) as its source material and contorts the odalisque genre—the eroticized gesture of a reclining nude woman. In doing so, Figgis refashions her protagonist from an object of desire into something more ambiguous, building this uncanny terrain through a medley of limpid brushstrokes, pastel tones of pink, gold and brown bleeding into one another. Eschewing corporal stasis, the reclining figure bubbles and croons to become more mirage than woman. Water plays a natural part in the creation of these aqueous forms, the artist thinning her favored acrylic paints which allows for a more elastic and serendipitous application of pigment.
“I enjoy working with paint that has no guaranteed outcome or shape.”
FRANCOIS BOUCHER
L’Odalisque Blonde, 1751
Oil on canvas
59.5 x 73.5 cm
Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne
The annals of art history have been a constant springboard for Figgis, who has previously mined Old Masters including Fragonard and Velázquez for her subject matter. The artist finds focus in subversion: she recovers fragments from her painterly forefathers, recasting them for contemporary times. New life gives new purpose, and to her motley troupes—often largely female—the artist grants fresh agency to explore their grotesque freedom. However instead of mimicking the strive for a perfection of form and composition, she embraces the shifting grounds of chaos within her paintings.
“We are all the same as our predecessors, and history repeats itself.”
In the present lot, Figgis decides to retain her leading lady’s voluptuous form, though drops her sensuality in favor of a more uncanny air, turning her sidelong gaze to challenge our position as spectator. In doing so, Figgis builds a wider commentary on parallels between past and present, with the mantra that
Portal, 2018
Christie’s London: 1 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 189,000 / USD 227,420
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972), Portal | Christie’s
GENIEVE FIGGIS (B. 1972)
Portal, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
150×150 cm (59×59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve Figgis 2018’ (on the reverse)
The slippery characters that people Genieve Figgis’ bewitching paintings often seem to be performing for an audience, like actors in an enigmatic tableaux vivant. In the large-scale work Portal (2018), this play-acting gains a compellingly macabre edge. At the centre of the canvas is a blindingly bright aperture, which seems to puncture the soft pink space behind it. A gilded halo surrounds it, framed by dancing lines of gleaming gold droplets. A band of ghoulish robed figures stand huddled in a row below. They all have skulls for faces. Figgis does not let us know whether these creatures are undead monsters or participants in a masque. Their forms are rendered with an extraordinary liquidity, almost as if about to melt.
This viscosity reflects Figgis’ dexterous technique. She works without prefatory drawings, allowing each work to emerge intuitively through the process of creation. Her preferred medium is acrylic paint mixed with water: a slick, aqueous mixture that she applies to the canvas while it is still wet.
“I love the unreliability of the material. The chance happening.
The surprise element of painting.”
Figgis grew up in a rural Irish milieu dominated by the strict, patriarchal Catholic Church. She has since found her own spirituality, and her practice seems to revel in the freedom that this offers. Figgis’ unpredictable approach is counterbalanced by her perspicuous understanding of historical precedent. In Portal, Figgis’ ghostly figures conjure the spirit of James Ensor, the Belgian master of the morbid carnivalesque, while the painting’s sense of theatricality harks back to the courtly painters of the 18th century, from Antoine Watteau’s orderly The Embarkation for Cythera (1717) to Francisco de Goya’s more flamboyant 1770s tapestry studies. Like the Spanish master, Figgis is all too aware of the darkness that can lurk in even the most frivolous of settings.
The Gathering, 2019
Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,512,000 / USD 193,575
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Co… Lot 115 November 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
The Gathering, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
100×150 cm (39 3/8 x 59 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2019’ on the reverse
“I love looking at ideas of the past in Old Masters. They were made to tell you a story. Some of the portraits have the authority and theatricality… I enjoy looking at people from the past and how they portrayed themselves.”
Gawen Hamilton, The Du Cane and Boehm Family Group, 1734
Collection of the Tate Britain, London
Lady with a Dog (After Gainsborough), 2019
Poly Hong-Kong: 10 October 2022
Estimated: HKD 650,000 – 850,000
HKD 1,320,000 / USD 168,155
Lady with a Dog (After Gainsborough)｜Poly Auction Hong Kong
Royal Collection Trust, London, UK
Pink Ballroom, 2018
Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,500,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,016,000 / USD 256,815
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contemp… Lot 44 June 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Pink Ballroom, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
150 x 150.2 cm (59 x 59 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Genieve figgis 2018’ on the reverse
Striking a unique balance between the comical and the gory, the historical with the modern, the figurative and the abstract, Irish painter Genieve Figgis’ captivating works are satirical reinterpretations of traditional aristocratic family portraits with a distinct Rococo flair, rendered in vibrant pastel color palettes. With a penchant for the theatre and period costumes, Figgis often takes compositional inspiration from historic photographs and portraits. Featuring snapshots of the daily life of the upper class in their stately mansions, the protagonists in Figgis’ portraits are seen posing in plush gardens, riding horses, playing the piano or indulging in sumptuous feasts. Figgis creates a juxtaposition between the figures’ ghoul-like, melting faces with the opulent interiors of Bourgeois decadence, positioning the characters as caricatures in front of gaudy backdrops. Such exaggerated theatricality ridicules the extravagant excess of the genteel class, at once humorous and subversive. Transfixing to the eye, Figgis works with the immediacy of watered-down acrylics, completing each painting in one sitting that might range from two to eight hours. In Pink Ballroom, striations of thick, meringue-like acrylics swirl into an amalgamation of a lavishly embellished pink backdrop. Patterns of velvet curtains and gilded windows seem to melt into each other, creating a wet-on-wet effect – like a buttery tiered cake that has been left out in the rain.
Referring to painting as ‘a giant liquid puzzle’, the artist revels in the unpredictability of her medium. Preferring acrylic over oils, the artist explains:
“I enjoy using acrylic because it just needs water […] I like how acrylic feels to work with, how it looks when it’s wet, and how anything is possible when working with a material that battles with me.”
Working with pre-prepared acrylics, the artist thins her paint with water to achieve a ‘wishy washy’ effect, inspired by artists such as Marlene Dumas. Highly experimental, Figgis’ paintings are free of restrictions, allowing the artist to take a chance on the medium itself and let it take the lead. In parallel, the works of Cecily Brown also draw inspiration from the Old Masters with a distinct focus on figures and forms that evolve in a state of flux. Dynamic, energetic and gestural, Brown works extremely quickly with dashes of thick impasto, just like Figgis. Yet in comparison, Brown works with paints that are more substantial, thick, and dry, as opposed to the fluidity showcased in Figgis’ portraits. Capturing loosely rendered forms in the moment they materialize into solidity, Figgis creates a mesmerizing visual effect that is hauntingly fresh.
“I love looking at ideas of the past in Old Masters. They were made to tell you a story. Some of the portraits have the authority and theatricality… I enjoy looking at people from the past and how they portrayed themselves.”
Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800-1801
Collection of Museo del Prado, Madrid
Often looking to masterworks by Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez and Hans Holbein, Figgis’ is drawn to the theatricality of the setting and costumes from these distant pasts.
“I love the faces and costumes staring back from another time and place. They seem to be from another world and yet only a few hundred years separate us.”
Poking fun at the ‘stiff’ family image that is illustrated in works such as Francisco Goya’s Charles IV of Spain and His Family, Figgis knocks down the ‘dignified’ traditional ideal. Following the precedent of artists such as George Condo who makes deliberately ‘bad’ reinterpretations of Old Masters paintings, Figgis’ eccentric melted neo-Rococo portraits are musings of the upper class life, putting a distinct contemporary spin on the classical genre of portraiture.
Friends in the Studio, 2016
Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 800,000
HKD 1,764,000 / USD 224,705
Genieve Figgis – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 118 June 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Friends in the Studio, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
80×100 cm (31 1/2 x 39 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘genieve figgis 2016’ on the reverse
“The melting in the paint that you see allows me to invent and direct as I go along. The painting is a stage but it’s also working like it has no script. The story is made up impromptu with no idea of how it will end.”
Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800-1801
Collection of Museo del Prado, Madrid
Romeo and Juliet on a Horse, 2016
Phillips New-York: 9 March 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 163,800
Genieve Figgis – New Now New York Lot 11 March 2022 | Phillips
GENIEVE FIGGIS
Romeo and Juliet on a Horse, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
119.4 x 100.3 cm (47 x 39 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated “Genieve Figgis 2016” on the reverse
Belonging to a series of paintings created for a production of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Metropolitan Opera, Genieve Figgis’s Romeo and Juliet on a Horse, 2016, beautifully captures the artist’s penchant for reinterpreting stories of the past. Though the deep crimson background appears to foreshadow the play’s tragic ending, Figgis depicts the star-crossed lovers embracing each other on horseback.
” I want to think of them living on and continuing their romance. Death is not the ending. I wanted them to win in the end.”
The present work installed at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, December 8, 2016–January 21, 2017. Artwork: © Genieve Figgis. Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech
Showcasing a lush kaleidoscope of white, yellow, and blue pigment for the figures, Romeo and Juliet on Horseback showcases the bold, expressionist use of color seen in Figgis’s best works. Here, the colors bleed into one another other and across the canvas, blurring the distinctions between the three figures that occupy the scene into formal unison. This ambiguity owes in part to Figgis’s unique painterly approach by pouring diluted paint on her canvases, welcoming the element of chance into her final product. While her work is firmly rooted in her love of history, the fluidity of Figgis’s process allows her to reimagine the timeless stories that her work investigates as embodied in Romeo and Juliet on Horseback.