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Ruth Smoking 1 - Signed Print by Julian Opie 2006 - MyArtBroker

Ruth Smoking 1
Signed Print

Julian Opie

Price data unavailable

AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.

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Medium: Screenprint

Edition size: 50

Year: 2006

Size: H 120cm x W 84cm

Signed: Yes

Format: Signed Print

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Julian Opie's Ruth Smoking 1, a screenprint from 2006, is a signed artwork with an estimated value of £4,900 to £7,500. This artwork has been sold four times at auction since its initial sale on 16th September 2010. Over the past five years, the hammer price has ranged from £450 to £8,000, with an average annual growth rate of 1%. The edition size of this piece is limited to 50.

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Auction Results

Auction DateAuction HouseLocation
Hammer Price
Return to Seller
Buyer Paid
April 2021Bonhams Knightsbridge United Kingdom
April 2015Phillips New York United States
October 2010Bonhams Knightsbridge United Kingdom
September 2010Sotheby's Online United Kingdom
March 2010Bonhams New Bond Street United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

Opie’s portraits engage with longstanding ideas that have characterised this art historical genre by questioning what intrinsic elements are needed to convey a person’s character. Ruth Smoking 1 presents the viewer with the absolute minimum by which the subject can be recognised, with buttons for eyes, two lines for a mouth, and the image created with flat, block colours.

Ruth Smoking 1 is representative of Opie’s strong interest in Ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodblock prints from the 18th and 19th centuries that often depicted female beauties not meant for exhibition. Opie’s particular interest in Ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro comes through in these portraits of Ruth, notably explaining that, "[Utamaro’s] models were radically cropped close up, the faces were very simply drawn, in some ways always very similar, but with great presence and individuality."

  • Julian Opie, born in 1958, dances through the contemporary art scene with a distinctive digital allure. A trailblazer of the 1980s New British Sculpture movement, Opie's work is a highly stylised blend of Pop Art and minimalism which navigates the intersection of technology and visual expression. From his early experiments with computer-generated art to his iconic portraits and animated installations, Opie's work exudes a captivating simplicity. His signature style, marked by bold lines and reduced forms, is internationally recognisable and has made him a key player in British contemporary art.