Van Gogh classic fetches 20 mn dollars

quot;Canal with Washerwomanquot;, one of the masterworks of Van Gogh8217;s Japanese period, had been previously sold in 1984 by Sotheby8217;s for 1.7 million dollars.

Christie8217;s sold 36 out of its 40 auction items, reaping a total of close to 66 million dollars. The British auction house had estimated sale revenues to total between 63 and 89 million dollars.

quot;Fantastic figures, considering that it was not a high profile owner8217;s sale,quot; said Christie8217;s vice President, Christopher Burge. quot;The market is healthy, non-speculative, but we8217;re working to keep the estimatessensible,quot; he added.