Marian Goodman’s Gerhard Richters Total $78.8 Million in $162.7 Million Christie’s Sale

Christie’s 21st-century evening sale in New York on Wednesday achieved $162.7 million, its highest total in the category since 2021. The sale featured eight works from the collection of the late dealer Marian Goodman by Gerhard Richter, which together sold for $78.8 million, nearly half the evening’s haul. Richter’s photorealistic candle painting *Kerze (Candle)* (1982) hammered at $30 million, below its $35 million low estimate, but still set a new auction record for the series. Other Richters performed strongly, with six of seven exceeding high estimates, including *Mohn (Poppy)* (1995) at $20.1 million. A modest Basquiat work on paper, *Asbestos*, sold for $6.54 million, and one lot by Ed Ruscha was bought in.

Christie’s $1.1 Billion Night Signals a Stunning Rebound for the Art Market

Christie’s achieved $1.1 billion in sales during a single evening auction on Monday, marking a dramatic rebound from the previous year when the three major New York auction houses combined sold that amount over the entire May season. The sale featured trophy works from the collections of S.I. Newhouse and Agnes Gund, with Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A (1948)* selling for $181.2 million and Mark Rothko’s *No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* fetching $98.4 million. Despite the strong overall results, seven of the 16 works in the Newhouse sale hammered below their low estimates, and Constantin Brancusi’s *Danaïde* failed to reach its $100 million estimate, indicating price resistance even for top-tier art.

Christie’s Double-Header Totals $1.1 B., With Several Trophy Works Notching New Records

Christie’s held two evening sales on Monday—the S.I. Newhouse collection and a 20th-century art sale—that together generated $1.1 billion across 64 lots. The Newhouse tranche alone made $630.8 million, bringing the cumulative total of the collection to over $1 billion, making it likely the most expensive collection ever sold at auction after Paul Allen’s $1.7 billion blockbuster. Top lots included Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A, 1948* at $181.2 million (the fourth most expensive painting ever sold at auction), Constantin Brâncuși’s *Danaïde* at $107.6 million, and a Mark Rothko work at $98.4 million.

The 16 Most Expensive Artworks Ever Sold at Auction

ARTnews published an updated list of the 16 most expensive artworks ever sold at auction, highlighting recent record-breaking sales such as Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16), which fetched over $236.4 million at Sotheby's, and Jackson Pollock's *Number 7A, 1948*, which sold for well above its $100 million estimate at Christie's in May 2026 from the S. I. Newhouse collection. The article traces the history of top auction prices, including Vincent van Gogh's *Orchard with Cypresses* (1888), which sold for $117 million during the Paul Allen sale at Christie's in November 2022, part of a record $1.5 billion single-evening auction.

The Most Expensive Jean-Michel Basquiat Works Ever Sold at Auction

ARTnews published a listicle ranking the most expensive Jean-Michel Basquiat works ever sold at auction, updated as of May 15, 2026. The article traces Basquiat's rise from street artist under the moniker SAMO to a major figure in the downtown New York scene, highlighting key relationships with Keith Haring, Diego Cortez, and curator Henry Geldzahler. It notes that Basquiat's entire mature output was created between 1981 and 1984, and that his 1983 painting *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* sold at Sotheby's in May 2026 for $52.7 million, placing it among his top sales. The piece also details earlier top sales, including *Untitled* (1982) for $29.3 million at Christie's in 2013 and *Flesh and Spirit* (1982–83) for $30.7 million at Sotheby's in 2018.

S.I. Newhouse’s 11-Foot-Wide Jackson Pollock Drip Painting Sells for Record-Breaking $181.2 M.

A Jackson Pollock drip painting, *Number 7A* (1948), formerly owned by media magnate S. I. Newhouse, sold at Christie’s on Monday night for a hammer price of $157 million, totaling $181.2 million with fees. The work, measuring nearly 11 feet wide, received over 60 bids in a 10-minute bidding war and set a new auction record for the Abstract Expressionist artist, surpassing the previous high of $61 million set in 2021. The winning bid was placed by a buyer represented by Christie’s global president Alex Rotter, with Swiss mega-dealer Iwan Wirth acting as an underbidder, possibly for collector Laurene Powell Jobs.

Behind Christie’s $1 B. Blockbuster Result, the Market Still Looks Uneven

Christie’s New York achieved over $1 billion in sales during a two-part evening auction, led by Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A, 1948* which sold for $181.2 million. The sale, the first billion-dollar night since the Paul G. Allen collection in 2022, also saw records for other works and active bidding from a small group of buyers, including dealer Jeffrey Deitch. However, the blockbuster results mask a more cautious middle market, where works priced between $100,000 and $1 million remain slow to sell.

Richter and Judd works top Christie's solid if not stellar sale of post-war and contemporary art

Christie’s held a two-part evening sale on May 20, featuring 42 lots from the estate of dealer Marian Goodman and the single-owner collection of Henry S. McNeil Jr. The auction achieved a hammer total of $132 million ($162.6 million with fees), just above the low end of its pre-sale estimate. The top lot was Donald Judd’s untitled plexiglass and copper stack sculpture, which sold for $12.8 million with fees, setting a new record for a Judd stack at auction. A surprise standout was Richard Artschwager’s Two-Part Invention (1967), which hammered at $500,000—more than six times its high estimate. The McNeil collection achieved a white-glove sale, while all but two of the eight Gerhard Richter works from the Goodman collection were guaranteed by third parties.

The Night of Records at Christie’s in New York. Here’s How the Mega Art Auction of More Than a Billion Dollars Went

La notte dei record di Christie’s a New York. Ecco com’è andata la mega asta d’arte da più di un miliardo di dollari

On May 18, 2026, Christie’s in New York held a landmark evening auction that surpassed $1.1 billion in total sales, driven by two sessions: Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse and a sale of 20th-century art. The Newhouse collection alone brought in $631 million, making it the second most valuable collection ever sold at auction, behind Paul Allen’s $1.7 billion sale in 2022. Record prices were set for Jackson Pollock’s Number 7A, 1948, which sold for $181.2 million, and Constantin Brancusi’s Danaïde (1913), which fetched $107.6 million, a record for a sculpture at auction. Other artists achieving strong results included Mark Rothko, Joan Miró, and Alice Neel.

Christie’s S. I. Newhouse Sale Totals $630.8 M., Bringing Cumulative Total to $1 B.

Christie’s evening auction of 16 works from media magnate S.I. Newhouse’s collection totaled $630.8 million with fees, setting multiple records. The top lot was Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A, 1948*, which sold for $181.2 million after a 10-minute bidding war, more than doubling Pollock’s previous auction record. Other highlights included Constantin Brâncuși’s *Danaïde* (ca. 1913), which set a new record for the artist at an undisclosed price above $82 million, and strong results for works by Joan Miró, Jasper Johns, and Pablo Picasso.

$181.2 Million Pollock, $107.6 Brancusi Million Sell at Christie’s, as Records Fall

Christie's New York auctioned 16 works from the collection of late media magnate S.I. Newhouse for a total of $630.8 million, far exceeding the $450 million estimate. The top lot was Jackson Pollock's "Number 7A" (1948), which sold for $181.2 million, setting a new auction record for the Abstract Expressionist and making him the latest artist to join the $100 million club. Minutes earlier, Constantin Brancusi's bronze sculpture "Danaïde" (1913) achieved $107.6 million, also a record for the Romanian modernist and the second-highest price ever for a sculpture at auction.

"Es ist nur die Frage: Bist du reich genug oder nicht?"

A Christie's auction in New York saw Jackson Pollock's "Number 7A" sell for approximately $181 million, contributing to a total of $1.1 billion in sales for the evening. The auction, covered by Vanity Fair and the New York Times, featured intense bidding between figures like Iwan Wirth and Alex Rotter, while names such as Jeff Bezos and Ken Griffin were speculated to be involved. Combined with sales from Sotheby's and Phillips, the week generated around $2.5 billion. Meanwhile, a separate controversy erupted in France over artist Claire Tabouret's new stained-glass windows for Notre-Dame Cathedral, with critics arguing they violate heritage protection laws. Additionally, the Fondation Beyeler faces allegations that a Cézanne watercolor in its current exhibition may be Nazi-looted art from the collection of Jewish paper wholesaler Gustav Schweitzer.

Is the art market slump over?

Ist die Flaute im Kunstmarkt vorbei?

The New York spring auctions saw explosive top prices, with Jackson Pollock's drip painting "Number 7A" (1948) selling for $181.2 million at Christie's, making it the fourth most expensive artwork ever auctioned. Christie's evening sales alone generated $1.1 billion, including $630.8 million from 16 works from the S.I. Newhouse collection. Sotheby's opened the season with a Mark Rothko from the estate of dealer Robert Mnuchin, achieving $85.8 million, while Phillips sold all 40 lots for $115 million, double the previous year. Younger artists like Joseph Yaeger also saw prices far exceed estimates.