Phillips Modern & Contemporary Sale Nets $115.2 M., With Strong Results for Women Artists

Phillips’ modern and contemporary art evening sale on Tuesday achieved $115.2 million against a presale estimate of $84.2 million, its highest since 2022. All 40 lots sold, with standout results for works by living artists like Joseph Yaeger, whose painting fetched $477,300 against a $60,000 estimate, and Anna Weyant, whose work sold for $980,400. Works by 20th-century female artists including Lee Bontecou, Olga de Amaral, and Helen Frankenthaler also exceeded expectations, with Bontecou’s pastel setting a record for a two-dimensional work by the artist at $4.3 million.

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.

The shifting market for luxury: can legacy brands navigate new trends and buyers?

Bénédicte Épinay, president and CEO of Comité Colbert, is organizing 'Hidden Treasures,' an exhibition of French luxury brands at The Shed in New York in late May 2025, timed after Frieze art fair and auction week. The show features 96 French luxury brands, 17 cultural institutions, and six European luxury brands, including Musée du Louvre, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier. The initiative is part of a broader cultural diplomacy strategy, following a similar exhibition in Shanghai in 2024 that helped reduce tariffs on cognac. The article also notes shifting luxury market dynamics, with strong US sales growth projected at 8% in 2026, while Europe remains stagnant, and emerging markets like India show new wealthy buyers driving auction house growth.

Sotheby’s Buoyant $303.4 Million Modern Art Evening Sale: By the Numbers

Sotheby’s modern art evening sale on Tuesday night generated $303.4 million, with a 97.6% sell-through rate and a hammer total of $256.5 million. The top lot was Henri Matisse’s *La Chaise Lorraine* (circa 1919), which sold for $48.4 million after a prolonged bidding war. The house withdrew three lots before the sale to improve optics, and 85% of the lots were guaranteed, mostly by third parties. Asian collectors were active at seven-figure price points, contrasting with sparse high-end bidding at Christie’s the previous night.

Waddington’s Spring Sale Spotlights Canadian Masters

Toronto-based auction house Waddington's will hold its Major Spring Sale on May 28, 2026, marking its 176th anniversary. The sale comprises three sessions: Canadian & International Fine Art, First Nations Art, and Inuit Art. Highlights include works by Lawren Stewart Harris (Lake Superior Sketch, VI, est. $700,000–$800,000 CAD), David Brown Milne (Heavy Forms, 1913, est. $80,000–$120,000), Rudolf Ernst (Finishing Touches, est. $100,000–$150,000 CAD), Emily Carr (Somewhere, ca. 1942, est. $350,000–$450,000), and Norval Morrisseau (Young Shaman with Powers, 1978, est. $100,000–$150,000 CAD). The sale spans diverse periods and mediums, with a focus on Canadian masters and Indigenous art.

Phillips’ $115.2 Million Evening Sale Was a Testament to the Power of Pre-Planning and Priority Bidding

Phillips’ Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale on May 19 achieved a white-glove result, totaling $115.2 million across 41 lots—a 122 percent increase from May 2025. The sale saw strong performances from works by Lee Bontecou, Salman Toor, and Cecily Brown, with Bontecou’s 1985 pastel on canvas setting a record for a two-dimensional work by the artist at $4.2 million. Other top lots included Andy Warhol’s *Sixteen Jackies* (1964) at $16.2 million, a Monet landscape at $9.3 million, and a Joan Mitchell at $6.9 million. Notably, less than half of the lots were guaranteed, with Phillips’ Priority Bidding incentive—offering a 4 percent discount on buyer’s premium—contributing to the strong results, as more than half of the lots attracted such bids.

Heffel’s spring sales, featuring rediscovered royal portrait and E.J. Hughes seascape, tally $16.2m

Heffel's spring auction in Toronto on 21 May achieved a total of C$22.4m ($16.2m), led by E.J. Hughes's seascape *Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC (1948)*, which sold for C$5.7m ($4.1m)—more than tripling its high estimate and setting a new auction record for the artist. The painting was consigned by Emily Carr University of Art and Design, with proceeds benefiting student awards. Other highlights included works by Mary Pratt, Jean Paul Riopelle, Alex Colville, Takao Tanabe, Tom Thomson, Arthur Lismer, and A.J. Casson, with four lots crossing the million-dollar mark and a 93.75% sell-through rate.

What New York’s $2.1B Auction Week Means for the Market

New York’s spring auction week generated $2.1 billion in sales, with major auction houses posting dramatic gains over the previous spring. The results were driven by trophy artworks, high-profile collections, and a renewed willingness among top collectors to spend at the highest level, signaling a robust rebound in the art market.

Christie’s Kiran Nadar Exhibition Is the Latest Indicator of the South Asian Art Market’s Growing Importance

Christie’s London will host “The Meeting Ground,” a non-selling exhibition of works from the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi, from July 16 to August 21, 2025. The show features Indian modernists such as M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, K.G. Subramanyan, and F.N. Souza, alongside contemporary South Asian artists, Indigenous art practitioners, and diaspora artists. Admission is free. The exhibition follows a series of record-breaking auction sales for South Asian art, including Husain’s *Untitled (Gram Yatra)* (1954) sold at Christie’s New York for $13.8 million in March 2025 and Raja Ravi Varma’s *Yashoda and Krishna* (ca. 1890s) sold at Saffronart for $17.9 million.

How Did Phillips Pull Off a $115.2 Million ‘White Glove’ Sale? Here’s What the Numbers Say

Phillips achieved a $115.2 million 'white glove' evening sale in New York on Tuesday night, with 41 of 43 lots sold and a 100% sell-through rate after withdrawals. The auction more than doubled last year's $52 million total, led by Andy Warhol's *Sixteen Jackies* (1964) at $16.2 million. Only three records were set—for P.S. Krøyer, Pat Passlof, and Joseph Yaeger—but the sale's success was driven by third-party guarantees on 21 lots and newly launched priority bids.

Rediscovered Old Master Painting Eclipses Estimate at Auction

A rediscovered portrait of Prince Rupert, long attributed to the studio of Anthony van Dyck and later to Jacob Huysmans, sold for CA$217,250 ($153,000) at Heffel Fine Art Auction House’s Spring Sale on May 21, more than double its low estimate. New research identified the work as by Peter Lely, court painter to King Charles II. The painting had belonged to the Hudson Bay Company for centuries and was part of a court-approved sale of the company’s collection following its 2024 bankruptcy. The 80-lot sale also saw a record for E.J. Hughes’s "Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC" (1948), which sold for CA$5.7 million ($4.1 million), and strong results for Group of Seven artists Arthur Lismer, A.J. Casson, and Lawren Harris.

The most expensive Mark Rothko paintings ever sold at auctions

The article lists the most expensive Mark Rothko paintings ever sold at auction, highlighting record-breaking sales such as *No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red)* (1951), which fetched $186 million in 2014, and *Orange, Red, Yellow* (1961), which sold for $86.9 million in 2012. Other notable works include *No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue)* (1954) at $75.1 million and *No. 10* (1958) at $81.9 million, demonstrating the enduring high demand for Rothko's abstract expressionist canvases in the secondary market.

Modern Art + Design Draw Active Bidders At Eldred’s

Eldred’s auction house held its Modern Art + Design sale on May 7, featuring 245 lots of art, furniture, decorative arts, rugs and collectibles. The sale achieved a total of $221,740 with an 81% sell-through rate, driven by active phone, online, and absentee bidding. Top lots included a Tiffany Studios Nautilus table lamp that sold for $23,040 (more than three times its estimate), a Handel reverse-painted glass table lamp that reached $10,880 against a $800–$1,200 estimate, and Frank Stella’s “Aiolio” from his “Imaginary Places III” series, which fetched $17,920. An abstract oil on canvas by Manabu Mabe also performed strongly, selling for $14,080.

Christie’s New York surpasses $1 billion

Christie’s New York kicked off its 20th and 21st Century Art sales week on 18 May 2026 with a record-shattering evening, generating over $1.12 billion across two sales: Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse and the 20th Century Evening Sale. The top lot was Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A, 1948*, which sold for $181.2 million, setting a new auction record for the artist. Other artist records were set for Constantin Brancusi, Joan Miró, Alice Neel, and Mark Rothko. The S.I. Newhouse collection alone achieved $631 million, selling 100% of lots, and its cumulative total across four Christie’s sales reached $1.05 billion, making it the second-highest collection ever sold at auction after Paul Allen’s.

A Rediscovered Beato Angelico Takes Center Stage at Pandolfini's Old Masters Auctions in Florence

Un Beato Angelico riscoperto protagonista alle aste di arte antica di Pandolfini a Firenze

Pandolfini auction house in Florence will auction a rediscovered fragment of Beato Angelico's *Tebaide* on May 20, 2026, after it had been missing for fifty years. The attribution was confirmed by comparison with the version held at the Museo di San Marco and formerly at the Galleria degli Uffizi. The auction house's Old Masters department, led since 2025 by young director Nicolò Pitto, has achieved strong results, including over €5 million in total revenue for the year, with top lots such as Artemisia Gentileschi's *Cleopatra* (€595,600) and a French School *Saint Catherine of Alexandria* (€620,000).

Comment un père et sa fille ont dupé le marché de l’art avec de faux Picasso et Banksy

A Polish father-daughter duo, Erwin Bankowski (50) and Karolina Bankowska (26), orchestrated a major art forgery scheme between 2020 and 2025, selling over 200 fake artworks attributed to Andy Warhol, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, Andrew Wyeth, and others through top auction houses and galleries in New York and across the United States. They pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and misrepresentation of Native American goods, facing up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for August 5. The fakes, produced by an unidentified Polish artist, were sold for at least $2 million, with the highest known sale being a fake Richard Mayhew landscape that fetched $160,000 at DuMouchelles in Detroit.

Early David Hockney artwork to be sold at auction

A previously unseen early artwork by David Hockney is being offered at auction through Tenants Auctioneers. The piece was purchased directly from Hockney's end-of-year student show by a buyer named Riley and has remained in the same family ever since. Francesca Young, a modern and contemporary art specialist at the auction house, described the consignment as a rare and exciting discovery.

Phillips’ Evening Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art More than Doubles Auction Total from the Previous Year

Phillips’ Evening Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art achieved a total that more than doubled the previous year's auction result, driven by strong demand for works spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. The sale opened with three lots exceeding their high estimates, including record prices for Lee Bontecou's rare 'Untitled' (1985-2001), which set a new record for any two-dimensional work by the artist after nearly five minutes of bidding. Other records were set for Pat Passlof, P.S. Krøyer, and Joseph Yaeger. Top lots included Andy Warhol's 'Sixteen Jackies' ($16.2 million), Claude Monet's 'La Route de Vétheuil, effet de neige' ($9.9 million), and Jackson Pollock's 'Untitled' ($9.2 million). The sale also featured works from The Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., which achieved a combined $8.4 million, with two Vilhelm Hammershøi works acquired by prominent institutions.

Da Carrà e de Chirico a Giorgio Morandi, ecco le nuove aste di Farsetti a Prato

Farsettiarte in Prato will hold two auctions at the end of May 2026, featuring modern and contemporary art. The Contemporary Art sale takes place on May 29, followed by the Modern Art sale on May 30, with highlights including works by Giorgio Morandi, Carlo Carrà, Giorgio de Chirico, Afro, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Piero Dorazio, and Hans Hartung. A rare Morandi still life from 1921 is estimated at €1.3-1.6 million, while de Chirico's 'Piazza d'Italia' (1963) carries an estimate of €220,000-320,000.

What Does the Future Hold for Female Collectors? We Got a Sneak Peek.

CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a panel discussion at Christie’s Rockefeller Center with collectors Tiffany Zabludowicz, Sophia Cohen, and Victoria Rogers, exploring the evolving role of women in the art market. The event coincided with Christie’s Marquee Week sales, which included a record-breaking $1.1 billion night, and featured works from the collections of legendary female patrons such as Agnes Gund, Marian Goodman, Lorinda de Roulet, and Marilyn Arison. Guests viewed masterpieces on display and received remarks from Christie’s Senior Vice President Isabella Lauria, who is leading the 21st Century Sale on May 20.

A Large Dalpayrat Jardinière Acquired by Orsay

Une grande jardinière de Dalpayrat acquise par Orsay

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has acquired a large jardinière (planter) by French ceramicist Adrien Dalpayrat, along with a jewelry coffer by Henri-Auguste Fourdinois. The purchases were made from a sale at Hôtel Drouot by the Thierry de Maigret auction house, where the museum notably did not exercise preemption rights on other works by Jean-Marie Pointu, Eugène Lion, and Paul Jeanneney. The museum justified its inaction by citing the cost of these two acquisitions.

Auctions of the week: ancient art, design and antiques

A busy week of auctions is scheduled for May 21-27, 2026, spanning Milan, New York, and other global hubs. Italian auction houses including FarsettiArte, Wannenes, Gonnelli, Finarte, Capitolium AuctionHouse, Pananti, Aste Bolaffi, Il Ponte, Maison Bibelot, Babuino Fine Art Auctions, and Pandolfini will offer paintings, drawings, sculptures, antiques, design, jewelry, and vintage fashion. International houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr, and Dorotheum also hold sales in New York, Zurich, Paris, and Vienna, covering post-war and contemporary art, handbags, fine wine, and antiques.

How Art Auctions Choreographed a $2.5 Billion Comeback

Major auction houses orchestrated a $2.5 billion comeback in the 2024 season after four years of uneven sales, according to a New York Times analysis. The recovery was engineered by redefining buyer and seller expectations, with houses adjusting estimates, guarantees, and sale structures to stimulate demand and close high-value transactions.

18TH POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART SALE

Virág Judit Gallery and Auction House will hold its 18th Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale on May 19, 2026, at the Budapest Music Center. The auction will feature a selection of works from the post-war and contemporary periods, with a public exhibition running from May 4 to May 18, 2026 (closed on May 17), daily from 10 am to 6 pm at the gallery.