Abramovich grabs art at record prices: report

Last week saw record-breaking sales of paintings by an unknown collector. Works by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were bought for a total of $US 120 million. The Times said the mysterious art lover behind the purchases was none other than Roman Abramovich

The newspaper suggests that the owner of Chelsea found his new passion for art thanks to his girlfriend, Dasha Zhukova. The lady has recently voiced her desire to open a contemporary art gallery in Moscow.

Freud’s 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' was sold on Tuesday at Christie’s for $33.6 million, setting an auction record for a living artist.

The $86.3 million sale of Triptych – a three panel work by Bacon – was the biggest for the painter.

When asked about the purchases, a spokesman for Abramovich said that he didn’t comment on personal matters.