RESULTS: Highest Total Realised for a Week of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Europe £179,609,000 / $235,144,681 / € 200,751,424

London – Christie’s Frieze Week auctions in London concluded on Saturday 7 October with a record-breaking total of £179,609,250 / $235,144,681 / € 200,751,424*, the highest figure ever achieved for a week of Post-War and Contemporary Art auctions in Europe. The highest figure for an evening of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Europe was reached at Christie’s on Friday 6 October, which achieved £134,076,500 / $175,237,986 / €149,629,374*. Records were set across the week with 17 artist records seen for some of the most celebrated and sought-after names in contemporary art including Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Howard Hodgkin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Hurvin Anderson.  The week was led by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Red Skull (1982) which achieved a figure of £16,546,250 / $21,625,950 / €18,465,616, with proceeds of the sale benefitting KIPP New Jersey Schools. The Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Auction achieved a total of £23,548,250 / $30,777,564 / €26,279,848 against a pre-sale estimate of £14,847,600 with sell-through rates of 83% by lot and 95% by value. The five top prices of the week, across all auction houses, were realised at Christie’s clearly demonstrating the success of the shift in auction calendar dates pioneered by Christie’s this year.   

Francis Outred Chairman and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s EMERI: “The strength of the market was proven this week with the record set for the largest total for a single week of sales and a single evening of sales of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Europe.  We were delighted by the volume of visitors to Christie’s, with over 20,000 people coming to appreciate the quality, diversity and innovation that we brought to the sales this week. We are proud to set artist records for some of the most celebrated names, including Robert Mapplethorpe, Howard Hodgkin, Grayson Perry, Michelangelo Pistoletto and David Salle.  The massive international presence we’ve seen in London and the appeal of Frieze Week around the globe demonstrates the success of our strategy to make this week a focal point of the calendar.”

The week launched with an energetic start on Tuesday 3 October with two specially curated sales, ‘Masterpieces of Design and Photography’, which achieved £7,452,500 / $9,874,563 / €8,421,325 while ‘Up Close’ totalled £14,531,750 / $19,254,569 / €16,420,878, with strong sell-through rates throughout. Standout results for ‘Masterpieces of Design and Photography’ included a new record for Robert Mapplethorpe’s Self Portrait, with Christie’s now holding the top three prices for his work, while Marc Newson’s A Lockheed Lounge was the top work of the evening (£1,568,750 / $2,078,594 / €1,772,687). More notable results were seen for Andreas Gursky, Carlo Mollino, Helmut Newton and Thomas Struth.  ‘Up Close’ was led by a quadruple estimate figure of £3,488,750 / $4,622,594 / €3,942,287 for Giacometti’s Apollon, from the Tàpies collection, alongside one of Andy Warhol’s early silkscreens, with Coke Bottle selling for £1,928,750 / $2,555,594 / €2,179,487.  The depth of bidding ably demonstrating the irresistible allure of masterpieces on a small scale. 

The week continued on Friday 6 October with the ‘Post-War and Contemporary Art’ and ‘Thinking Italian’ Evening Auctions which realised the second highest figure for an evening of Post-War and Contemporary Art in Europe.  In a highlight of the evening Antony Gormley’s monumental, Case for an Angel I was bought for a record breaking figure of £5,296,250 / $ 6,922,199 / €5,910,615, by Yusaku Maezawa.  More stand out moments included Howard Hodgkin’s record breaking Goodbye to the Bay of Naples which sold for £1,688,750 / $2,207,196 / €1,884,645, more than double its high estimate of £600,000 and Turner Prize nominee Hurvin Anderson’s Country Club: Chicken Wire, which realised a world auction record of £2,648,750 / $3,461,916 / €2,956,005. Francis Bacon’s Head with Raised Arm was unseen in public for 45 years prior to the auction and sold over estimate for £11,483,750 / $15,009,262 / €12,815,866. An early painting by Peter Doig, Camp Forestia (£15,421,250 / $20,155,575 / €17,210,116) was also a highlight.  The starring work of ‘Thinking Italian’ was Fontana’s Concetto spaziale, In piazza San Marco di notte con Teresita, which was the highest figure realised for a work of the ‘Venezie’ series and saw records for Michelangelo Pistoletto’s portrait of Arte Povera artist Alighiero Boetti titled Uomo che guarda un negativo (Man Looking at a Negative) and Franco Angeli.    

The week concluded on Saturday 7 October with the ‘Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Auction’, which realised a headline figure of £23,548,250 / $30,777,564 / €26,279,848.  Grayson Perry’s I Want To Be An Artist (1996) achieved a price of £632,750 / $827,004 / €706,149, tripling the artist record that had only been set the evening before.  Leading the auction Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (1986) saw a stand out price of £2,648,750 / $3,461,916 / €2,956,005 and demonstrated the depth of bidding for artists across each of the auctions throughout this key London season.

FRIEZE WEEK IN NUMBERS

Total sales: £179,609,000 / $235,144,681 / € 200,751,424*

17 Artist Records

Over 20,000 visitors to Christie’s King Street

Top five prices of the week achieved at Christie’s

PWC Evening Sale year on year increase – 198%

Thinking Italian year on year increase – 72%

Combined Evening year on year increase – 153%

Combined week total year on year increase – 95%

ARTIST RECORDS

MASTERPIECES OF DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Sale number: 15781

Lot 12

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE (1946-1989)

Self-Portrait

platinum print

signed by Michael Ward Stout, Executor, the Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe, date of signature, titled, dated, numbered and copyright credit in pencil ‘Michael Ward Stout/Executor the Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe, January 11, 1996 Self Portrait, 1988 3/3 AP-P1860 The Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe’ (verso)

image: 23 x 19 in. (58.3 x 48.2 cm.)

sheet: 26¾ x 22¼ in. (68 x 55.5 cm.)

Photographed and printed in 1988, this work is number three from an edition of three plus one artist's proof

Other platinum prints from the edition are in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles and the Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York.

Estimate: £300,000 – 500,000

Price realised: £548,750 / $727,094 / €620,087

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous record

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE

Andy Warhol

Medium platinum print w/silk panels

Year of Work 1987

Size Height 42 in.; Width 42 in. / Height 106.7 cm.; Width 106.7 cm.

Edition unique

Sale of Christie's New York: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 [Lot 00044]

Photographs

Estimate 200,000 - 300,000 USD

Sold For 643,200 USD Premium

POST WAR & CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING AUCTION

Sale no: 14442

Lot 1

GRAYSON PERRY (B. 1960)

Saint Claire 37 wanks across Northern Spain

glazed earthenware

33 x 22 x 22in. (84 x 56 x 56cm.)

Executed in 2003

Estimate: £80,000 – 120,000

Sold for: £200,000 / $261,400 / €223,200

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

GRAYSON PERRY

Map of Truths and Beliefs, 2011

wool and cotton tapestry

Sotheby's London: Thursday, March 9, 2017 [Lot 00236]

Contemporary Art Day Auction

Estimate 80,000 - 120,000 GBP (97,311 - 145,967 USD)

Sold For 118,750 GBP Premium (144,447 USD)

Lot 3

HOWARD HODGKIN (1932-2017)

Goodbye to the Bay of Naples

oil on wood

22 x 26 3/8in. (55.9 x 66.9cm.)

Executed in 1980-1982

Estimate: £400,000 – 600,000

Sold for: £1,688,750 / $2,207,196 / €1,884,645                                                                                            

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

HOWARD HODGKIN

In the Green Room, 1984-1986

oil on wood

Christie's London: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 [Lot 00020]

Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction

Estimate 550,000 - 750,000 GBP (837,648 - 1,142,248 USD)

Sold For 1,202,500 GBP Premium (1,831,404 USD)

Lot 7   

DAVID SALLE (B. 1952)

Mingus in Mexico

signed, titled and dated ‘David Salle 1990 “Mingus in Mexico”’ (on the reverse)

oil and acrylic on canvas

95 1/8 x 122 3/8in. (241.5 x 311cm.)

Painted in 1990

Estimate: £300,000 – 500,000

Sold for: £608,750.00 / $795,636 / €679,365                                                                               

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

DAVID SALLE

Footmen, 1986

diptych—oil and acrylic with wood bowl on canvas

Christie's New York: Wednesday, May 17, 2017 [Lot 0013B]

Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale

Estimate 250,000 - 350,000 USD

Sold For 583,500 USD Premium

Lot 14

ANTONY GORMLEY (B. 1950)

A Case for an Angel I

plaster, fibreglass, lead, steel and air

77½ x 337¾ x 18 1/8in. (197 x 858 x 46cm.)

Executed in 1989

Estimate: £5,000,000 – 7,000,000

Sold for: £5,296,250 / $ 6,922,199 / € 5,910,615                                                                                          

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

ANTONY GORMLEY

Angel of the north (maquette), 1996

cast iron

Christie's London: Friday, October 14, 2011 [Lot 00005]

Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Auction

Estimate 1,500,000 - 2,000,000 GBP (2,371,166 - 3,161,555 USD)

Sold For 3,401,250 GBP Premium (5,376,620 USD)

Lot 18

HURVIN ANDERSON (B. 1965)

Country Club: Chicken Wire

signed, titled and dated 'Hurvin A., Tuesday 4th November 2008, Country Club Series: Chicken Wire' (on the overlap)

oil on canvas

Painted in 2008

Estimate: £700,000 – 1,000,000

Sold for: £ 2,648,750 / $ 3,461,916  / €2,956,005                                                                                        

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

HURVIN ANDERSON

Afrosheen, 2009

oil on canvas

Year of Work Christie's London: Tuesday, July 1, 2014 [Lot 00015]

Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Auction

Estimate 300,000 - 400,000 GBP (514,315 - 685,753 USD)

Sold For 1,314,500 GBP Premium (2,253,557 USD)

Lot 54

TONY BEVAN (B. 1951)

Corridor

signed twice, numbered and dated 'Bevan PC9710' (on the reverse)

acrylic and charcoal on canvas

105¾ x 82in. (268.5 x 208.3cm.)

Executed in 1997

Estimate: £70,000 – 100,000

Sold for: £112,500 / $ 147,038 / € 125,550                                                                                                    

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

TONY BEVAN

Horizon

Acrylic on Canvas, 1997-1997

Sotheby's London: Thursday, March 30, 2000 [Lot 00008] Contemporary Art

Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 GBP (31,746 - 47,619 USD)

Sold For 54,300 GBP Premium (86,190 USD)

Lot 58

AMY SILLMAN (B. 1966)

The New Land

signed, titled and dated 'Amy Sillman 2005 "THE NEW LAND" oil/canvas' (on the overlap); signed and dated 'Amy Sillman '05' (on the reverse)

oil on canvas

78 x 66in. (198 x 167.8cm.)

Painted in 2005

Estimate: £100,000 – 150,000

Sold for: £440,750 / $576,060 / €491,877                                                                                                      

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record 

AMY SILLMAN

P

Medium oil on canvas

Year of Work 2007

Size Height 45 in.; Width 39 in. / Height 114.3 cm.; Width 99.1 cm.

Misc. Signed, Inscribed

Sale of Sotheby's New York: Friday, November 18, 2016 [Lot 00407]

Contemporary Art Day Auction

Estimate 70,000 - 100,000 USD 

Sold For 504,500 USD Premium  

Lot 44

THOMAS SCHÜTTE (B. 1954)

Study For 'Die Fremden' (The Strangers)

signed 'Th. Schutte' (lower left); dated '26.4.92' (lower right)

gouache and crayon on paper

43 3/8 x 78in. (110 x 198cm.)

Executed in 1992

Estimate: £200,000 – 300,000

Sold for: £236,750 / $309,432. / €264,213

RECORD FOR THE MEDIUM

Current Artist Record 

THOMAS SCHÜTTE

Untitled (Große Geist Nr. 6)

Medium bronze w/green patina

Year of Work 1996

Sale of   Christie's New York: Monday, May 12, 2014 [Lot 00026]

If I Live I‘ll See You Tuesday: Contemporary Art Auction

Estimate 3,500,000 - 4,500,000 USD

Sold For 5,317,000 USD Premium 

Previous Works on paper Record

THOMAS SCHUTTE

Untitled (Portraits of Women)

Year of work 1991

Height 23 in, ; Width 19,1 in. / Height 58.4 cm, Width48.6 cm.

Inscribed, Stamped,

Christie’s London Wednesday, July 1, 2015 [ Lot 00155]

Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale

Estimate 150,000 – 200,000 EUR

(234,265 – 312, 353 USD)

Sold For 182,500 GBP Premium (285,022 USD)

THINKING ITALIAN

Sale no: 14441

Lot 102

FRANCO ANGELI (1935-1988)

Fiore Partigiano (Partisan Flower)

signed, titled and dated 'Fiore Partigiano Angeli 1962' (on the reverse)

enamel, acrylic and plaster on canvas and toile

47 3/8 x 55 1/8in. (120.3 x 140cm.)

Executed in 1962

Estimate: £55,000 – 75,000

Sold for: £ 206,250 / $ 269,568.76 /  € 230,175                                                                            

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record

FRANCO ANGELI

Tunisia

Medium oil, gauze, plaster and glue on canvas

Year of Work 1961

Size Height 63.8 in.; Width 55.5 in. / Height 162 cm.; Width 141 cm.

Misc. Signed, Inscribed

Sale of Sotheby's London: Friday, October 7, 2016 [Lot 00019]

The Italian Sale

Estimate 40,000 - 60,000 GBP (49,695 - 74,543 USD)

Sold For 100,000 GBP Premium (124,239 USD)

Lot 108

MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO (B. 1933)

Uomo che guarda un negativo (Man Looking at a Negative)

signed, titled and dated 'Pistoletto 1967 -UOMO CHE GUARDA UN NEGATIVO-' (on the reverse)

painted tissue paper on polished stainless steel

90½ x 47¼in. (230 x 120cm.)

Executed in 1967

Estimate: £2,500,000 – 3,500,000

Sold for: £ 3,721,250 / $4,863,674 / €4,152,915

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

Previous Record

MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO

Amanti (Lovers), 1962-1966

Medium painted tissue-paper on stainless steel

Christie's London: Tuesday, July 1, 2014 [Lot 00004]

Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Auction

Estimate 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 GBP (1,714,383 - 2,571,575 USD)

Sold For 2,322,500 GBP Premium (3,981,656 USD)

POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART DAY AUCTION

Sale number: 14443

Lot 202

KATHARINA GROSSE (B. 1961)

Untitled

signed and dated 'Katharina 2000' (on the reverse)

acrylic on canvas

85 ¼ x 123 5/8in. (216 x 314cm.)

Painted in 2000

Estimate: £60,000-80,000

Price realised: £308,750 / $403,536 / €344,565

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous Record

KATHARINA GROSSE

Untitled

Medium Acrylic and soil on canvas

Sale of Grisebach GmbH: Friday, June 2, 2017 [Lot 00837]

276 - Contemporary Art

Estimate 25,000 - 35,000 EUR (28,178 - 39,449 USD)

Sold For 137,500 EUR Premium (154,981 USD)

Lot 207

HENRY TAYLOR (B. 1958)

Untitled (Symbol)

oil on canvas

95 1/8 x 76 1/8in. (241.6 x 193.2cm.)

Painted in 2007

Estimate: £30,000-50,000

Price realised: £230,750 / $301,590 / €257,517

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous Record

HENRY TAYLOR

Miss Kelley

Medium acrylic on canvas

Sale of Sotheby's New York: Friday, May 19, 2017 [Lot 00416]

Contemporary Art Day Auction

Estimate 50,000 - 70,000 USD

Sold For 231,250 USD Premium

Lot 208

IBRAHIM MAHAMA (B. 1987)

Untitled

ink, found fabric collage, thread and banana tree leaf on six joined coal sacks

79 7/8 x 85in. (203 x 216cm.)

Executed in 2014

Estimate: £20,000-30,000

Price realised: £40,000 / $52,280 / €44,640

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous Record

IBRAHIM MAHAMA

Untitled

Medium jute coal sacks

Sale of   Phillips London: Tuesday, June 30, 2015 [Lot 00107]

Contemporary Art Day Sale

Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 GBP (15,725 - 23,588 USD)

Sold For 12,500 GBP Premium (19,657 USD)

Lot 222

SHUSAKU ARAKAWA (1936-2010)

Vertical Thought

oil, mirror, latex, graphite, string, plastic and pacifier on canvas

76 ¾ x 107 1/8in. (195 x 272cm.)

Executed in 1973

Estimate: £60,000-80,000

Price realised: £137,500 / $179,713 / €153,450

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous Record

ARAKAWA

Marx's Desire (From The Mechanism Of Meaning)

Medium Oil on Canvas

Sale of   Sotheby's New York: Wednesday, May 9, 1990 [Lot 00168]

CONTEMPORARY ART, PART II

Estimate 150,000 - 200,000 USD

Sold For 176,000 USD Premium

Lot 233

YOSHITOMO NARA (B. 1959) & HIROSHI SUGITO (B. 1970)

Deeper than a puddle

signed and dated 'Nara 2004 Sugito' (on the reverse)

acrylic on canvas

102 3/8 x 110 ¼ in. (260 x 280cm.)

Painted in 2004

Estimate: £250,000-350,000

Price reaslied: £656,750 / $858,372 / €732,933

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE COLLABORATION

Previous Record

HIROSHI SUGITO AND YOSHITOMO NARA

Marianne

Medium acrylic on canvas

Sale of   Sotheby's Hong Kong: Sunday, October 5, 2014 [Lot 01054]

Modern and Contemporary Asian Art - Evening Sale

Estimate 3,000,000 - 4,000,000 HKD (386,592 - 515,457 USD)

Sold For 5,080,000 HKD Premium (654,630 USD)

Lot 257

GRAYSON PERRY (B. 1960)

I Want To Be An Artist

glazed earthenware

22 7/8 x 18 7/8 x 18 7/8in. (58 x 48 x 48cm.)

Executed in 1996

Estimate 60,000 – 80,000 GBP (79,000 – 100,000 USD)

Sold for 632,750 GBP Premium (827,004 USD)

WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST

Previous Record

GRAYSON PERRY (B. 1960)

Saint Claire 37 wanks across Northern Spain

glazed earthenware

Christie’s London: Friday 6 October 2017

Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction [Lot 1]

Estimate: £80,000 – 120,000

Sold for: £200,000 / $261,400 / €223,200

Lot 409

ANSEL KRUT (B. 1959)

Arse Flowers in Bloom

Oil on canvas

47 ¼ x 43 ¼ in. (120 x 110 cm)

Painted in 2010

Estimate: £12,000-18,000

Price realised: £12,500

Previous Record

ANSEL KRUT

Clockwork hearts

Medium oil on canvas

Sale of Christie's South Kensington: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 [Lot 00240]

Twentieth Century British Art

Estimate 300 - 500 GBP (608 - 1,013 USD)

Sold For 1,250 GBP Premium (2,534 USD)

Lot 412

RYAN MOSLEY (B. 1980)

Emperor Butterfly

Oil on linen laid on board

63 ¼ x 71 in. (160.5 x 180.2 cm)

Painted in 2007

Estimate: £5,000-7,000

Price realised: £17,500

Previous Record

RYAN MOSLEY

Topiary Gargantua

Medium oil on linen

Sale of   Christie's London: Friday, September 15, 2017 [Lot 00141]

First Open

Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 GBP (5,430 - 8,145 USD)

Sold For 6,000 GBP Premium (8,145 USD)