Post-War and Contemporary Art

Post-War and Contemporary Art

Frieze Week at Christie's London, 6-20 October 2015

On October 16, Christie’s London evening auctions of Post-War & Contemporary Art and The Italian Sale realised a record-breaking combined total of £78,729,000 / $121,793,764 / € 106,756,524. Together with the sale of ‘A Visual Odyssey: Selections from LAC (Lambert Art Collection), on Wednesday 14 October, this brings the running total of auctions at Christie’s during Frieze week to £93,704,125 / $144,660,779 / €126,748,315. The Italian Sale reached the highest total for any auction of 20th-century Italian art. The top price of the night was paid for Peter Doig’s, Cabin Essence painted in 1993-4, which sold for £9,602,500 / $14,855,068 / €13,020,990 and follows the record set for the artist at Christie’s last season. Registered bidders from 47 countries across five continents demonstrated the continued strength of the global contemporary art market, with 22 lots selling for over £1 million and 33 for over $1 million.

14 artist records were set on the night across both the Post-War and Contemporary Evening Auction and Italian sale: Nicole Eisenman, Charline von Heyl, Gerald Laing, Albert Oehlen, Jonas Wood, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Toby Ziegler, all reached their highest figures alongside Joe Bradley’s Untitled that matched the artist’s current world record at auction. Those established in the Italian Sale included: Vincenzo Agnetti; Gianni Colombo; Luciano Fabro; Giorgio Morandi and Giuseppe Uncini. More highlights included the highest ever price for any Andy Warhol 24-inch Flower painting and a record price for a joint work by Lucio Fontana and Osvaldo Borsani.

Explore the Auctions

Videos

  • Peter Doig’s Cabin Essence, 1993-1994

    Katharine Arnold, Head of the Evening Auction, discusses Peter Doig’s Cabin Essence, which is offered in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening sale on 16 October 2015 in London

  • The Italian Sale 2015: Alberto Burri

    Alessandro Diotallevi, Associate Specialist, discusses Alberto Burri’s major retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum in New York, and examines the artist’s Rosso Plastica M1 which will be offered in the Italian sale on 16 October 2015 in London.

  • The Italian Sale 2015: Lucio Fontana

    Mariolina Bassetti, Chairman, Italy, International Director, Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art, Southern Europe discusses works by Lucio Fontana being offered in the Italian sale on 16 October 2015 in London.

  • The Italian Sale 2015: Arte Povera

    Robert Brown, International Head of Research, examines the artistic movement in Italy, alongside works featured in the Italian sale on 16 October 2015 in London.

All videos

Peter Doig’s Cabin Essence, 1993-1994

The Italian Sale 2015: Alberto Burri

The Italian Sale 2015: Lucio Fontana

The Italian Sale 2015: Arte Povera

Special Features

  • The insider guide to Frieze week, London
  • As the 13th edition of Frieze London prepares to welcome collectors and art lovers from across the world, Chris Mugan asks a selection of tastemakers for their 10 key tips on how to make the most of a week packed with sales, exhibitions and parties
  • Read more

New York Post-War and Contemporary Highlights

Highlights Exhibition in London: 10 – 17 October
Auction in New York: 10 November


From iconic masterpieces that showcase the achievements of post-war masters to cutting-edge giants of contemporary art, our 10 November Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York will present a selection of the most sought-after works in this category, sourced from the finest collections around the world. We welcome you to preview our New York auction highlights during Frieze Week at Christie’s London.

  • Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

    Four Marilyns
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

    Gun
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request
    Property from an Important European Collection

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)

    Porch in a Landscape
    Estimate
    $8,000,000-12,000,000
    Property of a New York Estate

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Carl Andre (B. 1935)

    Eighty-First Copper Cardinal
    Estimate
    $1,500,000-2,500,000
    Property from the Collection of Paul Maenz, Berlin

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Gerhard Richter (B. 1932)

    Monstein
    Estimate
    $5,000,000-7,000,000
    Property from a Private American Collection

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

    Siberian Tiger
    Estimate
    $3,000,000-4,000,000
    Property from a Private European Collector

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015

  • Alexander Calder (1898-1976)

    Bullfight
    Estimate
    $2,000,000-3,000,000
    The Arthur and Anita Kahn Collection: A New York Story

    To be offered in the Post-War & Contemporary Evening Sale, New York, 10 November 2015