Koons Fetches £12.9m

Feeling the pinch of recession? Take comfort from the knowledge that the world's fat cats still have plenty of roubles to waste on fripperies. Jeff Koons' Balloon Flower (Magenta) fetched £12.9m at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in London yesterday, a new record for a Koons. Lucian Freud's Naked Portrait With Reflection went for £11.8m. But Francis Bacon's Three Studies for a Self Portrait beat both of them at £17.3m. Poor old Gilbert and George could only pull £1.9m for To Her Majesty. I'm more interested in the young lady with nice legs perusing the Koons and strolling past Moneybags Hirst's spotty L-Tyrosine-15n (2001). Who is she? A film star? A magnate's mistress? A minor royal? No. She's a Christie's employee. Oh phooey! Now I've completely lost interest.