Nazi-looted Kandinsky painting sells for about $42 million

Summary

“The Colorful Life,” a 1907 painting by Wassily Kandinsky, sold at auction for about $42 million. The New York Times reported a price of $42 million, while The Times of Israel said it sold for more than $42 million. The painting had been returned to the original owners’ heirs in 2023; The Times of Israel says Christie’s reported a six-minute bidding war that pushed it nearly $10 million above the high end of its estimate.

Timeline

1. The New York Times

   15 Oct 2026, 13:29 UTCSource ↗

   The New York Times reports that “The Colorful Life,” a 1907 Kandinsky painting returned to the original owners’ heirs in 2023, sold for $42 million.

2. The Times of Israel

   16 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Times of Israel reports that the painting sold for more than $42 million and says Christie’s attributed the result to a six-minute bidding war that pushed it nearly $10 million above the high end of its estimate.