Bidders move fast for Modern sculptures at Sotheby's New York

The Impressionist and Modern evening sale at Sothebys on 16 May got off to an unsettled start the announcement, by auctioneer and worldwide co-head of the department Helena Newman, that the star lotan early Egon Schiele painting from 1909 with an asking price of $30m to $40mwas one of two lots to be withdrawn from the sale, evidently in the final hour. Without the firepower of that heavy-hitter, the house could not compete with Christies $289m take the night before, but pulled off $173.8m with