New York — Christie’s spring auction series achieved a total of $1,072,346,250 across 20th Century Week, highlighted by a series of world auction records in the Impressionist and Modern Art and Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales. Global clients participated in 2 Evening Sales, 4 Day Sale sessions and 1 online-only sale of Picasso Ceramics, while 16,000 visitors attended the exhibition at Christie’s New York galleries.
The week featured collections of outstanding provenance with many important works fresh to the auction market. There was global interest throughout the sales with significant activity from the Asian market. Paul Cézanne’s Bouilloire et fruits realized $59,295,000 as the top lot of Monday’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale and was purchased by an Asian buyer. Christie’s sales continue in Hong Kong from 24-29 May including the 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale on 25 May.
World Auction Records
Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale
Record for Living Artist Jeff Koons, Rabbit, $91,075,000
Record for the Artist and 2nd Highest Price at Auction for a Female Artist: Louise Bourgeois, Spider, $32,055,000
Record for the Artist: Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II, $88,805,000
Record for the Artist: Frank Stella, Point of Pines, $28,082,500
Record for the Artist: Larry Rivers, The Last Civil War Veteran, $1,215,000
Record for the Artist: Jonas Wood, Japanese Garden 3, $4,928,500
Record for the Artist: Daniel Buren, Peinture aux formes indéfinies, $2,175,000
Record for the Artist in the Medium: Bruce Nauman, From Hand to Mouth, $1,575,000
Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale
Record for Artist: Balthus, Thérèse sur une banquette, $19,002,500
Record for the Artist: Pierre Bonnard, La Terrasse ou Une terrasse à Grasse, $19,570,000
Post-War and Contemporary Art Afternoon Session
Record for the Artist: Amy Sherald, Innocent You, Innocent Me, $350,000
Record for the Artist: Stanley Whitney, Lush Life, $362,500
Record for the Artist: Mickalene Thomas, Just a Whisper Away, $495,000
Record for the Artist: Shio Kusaka, (carved 39), $52,500
Record for the Artist: Brian Calvin, Slow Burn, $87,500
Record for the Artist: Margaret Kilgallen, Untitled (Salt, Sweet, CH, Wheet), $447,000
Post-War and Contemporary Art Morning Session
Record for the Artist: Mary Bauermeister, Alutable, $350,000
Record for the Artist: Esteban Vicente, Untitled, $175,000
Record for Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe Prints: Andy Warhol, set of 10, $3,855,000
Collections | 20th Century Week was highlighted by world-class collections including works from the S.I. Newhouse Collection , Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection, Dorothy and Richard Sherwood Collection, Collection of H.S.H. Princess “Titi” von Furstenberg, and Collection of Drue Heinz. Further examples from Heinz will be presented in The Collection of Drue Heinz Townhouses in London and New York on 4 June and in the Modern British Art Evening Sale on 17 June.
Collections by Numbers
S.I. Newhouse Collection | $216,287,500 |
Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection | $174,485,000 |
Collection of Drue Heinz | $81,683,000 |
Dorothy and Richard Sherwood Collection | $30,645,375 |
Collection of H.S.H. Princess “Titi” von Furstenberg | $52,740,750 |
Norman and Grete Granz | $5,694,000 |
For additional insight into Christie’s 20th Century Week view our online reports: Post-War and Contemporary Art and Impressionist and Modern Art.
About Christie’s
Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).
Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has sold 8 of the 10 most important single-owner collections in history, including the Paul G. Allen Collection—the most valuable collection ever offered at auction (November 2022). In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019).
Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.
Recent innovations at Christie’s include the groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple’s Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including use of hologram technology to tour life-size 3D objects around the world, and the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats.
Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability by reducing our carbon emissions by 50% and pledging to be net zero by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change.
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