Christie's nets $1.1bn from back-to-back S.I. Newhouse and 20th century evening sales in New York

Christie's held back-to-back evening auctions in New York, featuring the esteemed S.I. Newhouse collection and a 20th-century evening sale, achieving a combined total of $950 million (or $1.1 billion with fees). The Newhouse sale was a white-glove affair, 100% sold, though entirely backed by third-party guarantees. Highlights included Constantin Brancusi's bronze 'Danaïde' (1913) selling for $107.5 million with fees, a record for the artist, and Pablo Picasso's 'Tête de femme (Fernande)' fetching $48.3 million. Other top lots included works by Piet Mondrian, Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock, with many going to anonymous telephone bidders.

Mark Rothko Painting Agnes Gund Hung in Her Living Room Sells for $98 M., Setting a Record

A Mark Rothko painting, *No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* (1964), formerly owned by prominent art patron and Museum of Modern Art president emerita Agnes Gund, sold at Christie’s on Monday night for $98.4 million (including fees). The work, which Gund purchased directly from Rothko in 1967 and kept in her living room until her death last September, received about a dozen bids before hammering at $85 million to a buyer represented by Christie’s specialist Rachael White Young. The sale broke Rothko’s previous auction record of $86.9 million set in 2012 for *Orange, Red, Yellow* (1961), also at Christie’s New York.

Eyes Wide Open! Kenny Schachter Dishes on Delinquent Dealers, Secret Deals, and That Other ‘Salvator Mundi’

Kenny Schachter offers a sardonic, first-person account of the spring 2025 art season in New York, weaving together observations from auctions, art fairs, and gallery openings. He notes brisk business at Sotheby's and Phillips, citing specific sales like James Ensor's tiny "Still life with Stingray" ($140,800) and Georgia O'Keeffe's double-sided "Maple Leaves and Flowering Cactus" ($1.68 million). Schachter also recounts his experience at Larry Gagosian's new Madison Avenue gallery, where security guards outnumbered the artworks, and reflects on the broader economic climate, including a tax lawyer moonlighting as a 3-D printer for his own sculpture project. He contrasts the wealthiest collectors—one driving a Lamborghini but staying at a Holiday Inn Express—with dealers wearing grim faces at TEFAF, painting a picture of a bifurcated art economy.

Consignors Revealed: The Mystery Sellers Behind the $1.8 Billion May Auctions

Sotheby's kicked off the May auction season with a $433 million sale, including an 11-lot group from the estate of late dealer Bob Mnuchin, led by an $86 million Mark Rothko painting. The three major auction houses are offering $1.8 billion worth of art by low estimate, a 50% increase from last year, driven by consignments from estates of key figures like Mnuchin, philanthropist Agnes Gund, and dealer Marian Goodman. Christie's will stage a sale from publisher S.I. Newhouse's collection expected to bring $450 million, potentially setting records for Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi. The article reveals that many top sellers are anonymous, but unmasked names include the Dennison family and French collector John Sayegh-Belchatowski.

15 Van Gogh Masterpieces that Set Auction Records

ARTnews published a listicle on May 19, 2026, detailing 15 Van Gogh masterpieces that set auction records, from *Landscape with Rising Sun* (1985) to *Portrait of Dr. Gachet* (1990). The article recounts landmark sales including *Sunflowers* ($39.9 million in 1987), *Irises* ($53.9 million in 1987), and *Portrait of Dr. Gachet* ($82.5 million in 1990), highlighting the buyers, provenance, and institutional homes such as the Sompo Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Marian Goodman’s $35.1 M. Richter ‘Candle’ Leads Christie’s Tepid $162.7 M. Trio of Postwar and Contemporary Sales

Christie’s New York held a trio of postwar and contemporary art evening sales on Wednesday night, totaling $162.7 million with fees, just meeting expectations. The auction was led by a Gerhard Richter painting, *Kerze (Candle)*, which sold for $35.1 million, and featured a collection of eight Richter works from the estate of revered dealer Marian Goodman, which collectively hammered at $66 million. Other highlights included a Donald Judd stack from the estate of collector Henry S. McNeil, selling for $12.8 million, and a Richter *Mohn (Poppy)* that achieved $20.1 million. Only one lot, an Ed Ruscha canvas, failed to sell.

Tina Kim Gallery announces representation of the estate of Kim Lim.

Tina Kim Gallery has announced U.S. representation of the estate of Kim Lim, the British Singaporean sculptor and printmaker. The gallery will debut Lim's work at Art Basel in June, followed by a solo exhibition in New York in spring 2027—the first solo presentation of her work in the United States. Axel Vervoordt Gallery will continue to represent the artist's estate.

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.

TEFAF New York 2026: Contemporary Gains Ground

TEFAF New York 2026 is set to feature a stronger contemporary art presence, signaling a shift in the fair's traditional focus on Old Masters and antiques. The event will expand its contemporary offerings, attracting a broader range of galleries and collectors.

Frieze New York 2026 Reports Major Sales and Acquisitions

Frieze New York 2026 closed its 15th edition at The Shed on May 17, drawing 25,000 visitors from 75 countries and featuring 68 galleries from 26 countries. The fair reported strong sales across market levels, including seven-figure transactions such as El Anatsui's *LuwVor I* sold by White Cube for $2.2 million and Georg Baselitz's *Stunde der Nachtigall* sold by Thaddaeus Ropac for €1.4 million. The inaugural Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund enabled acquisitions by the Brooklyn Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art, with works by Bettina, Reika Takebayashi, Seba Calfuqueo, and Joanne Burke. Several galleries, including Johyun Gallery and James Cohan, reported sold-out or near-sell-out booths.

New York Art Week 2026 Frieze And TEFAF Report

New York Art Week 2026 featured major art fairs including Frieze New York at The Shed, which drew 25,000 visitors from 75 countries and launched the Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund, placing works by four artists into the Brooklyn Museum and Baltimore Museum of Art. TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory presented over 90 international galleries across historic period rooms, while satellite fairs Independent, NADA New York, and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair offered focused alternatives. Auction houses Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips opened free spring sale previews featuring highlights such as Roy Lichtenstein's 'Anxious Girl' and the Lewis Collection.

Sotheby’s Pulls In $303.9 M. in a Solid but Subdued Modern Evening Sale Led by $48 M. Matisse

Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction on Tuesday night achieved $303.9 million in total sales, with 98% of lots sold, led by Henri Matisse’s *La Chaise lorraine* at $48.4 million—the second-highest price ever for a Matisse painting at auction. Other top lots included Pablo Picasso’s *Arlequin (Buste)* (1909), which sold for $42.6 million, and works by Alberto Giacometti and Vincent van Gogh. However, bidding was often cautious, with few prolonged contests, and the total fell below the presale high estimate of $320.2 million, reflecting a tempered market atmosphere.

At TEFAF New York, the Masterpiece Market Had Plenty to Celebrate

TEFAF New York returned to the Park Avenue Armory with record attendance on its Collector Preview day, May 14, featuring 90 exhibitors showcasing modern and contemporary masterpieces, antiques, decorative arts, and jewelry. Dealers reported strong sales across price tiers, including an Andy Warhol Mao sold by ML Fine Art within the first hour, a Lucio Fontana *Concetto Spaziale* for $2.3 million at Mennour, and works by Giorgio Morandi, Giosetta Fioroni, and Meret Oppenheim sold by Galleria d’Arte Maggiore g.a.m. A new secondary-market partnership, Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries, debuted with a booth anchored by a 1956 Rothko, signaling renewed confidence in the market.

Frieze New York 2026 Sales Report & Contemporary Art Market Trends

Frieze New York 2026 concluded with significant sales activity, as galleries reported strong demand for blue-chip contemporary works. The fair featured a mix of established and emerging artists, with notable transactions including major paintings by living artists and secondary market pieces. Dealers noted a cautious but steady market, with collectors focusing on high-quality, investment-grade works.

Basquiat’s 'Museum Security' leads Sotheby’s New York contemporary evening sale at US$52.7m

Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1983 painting 'Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)' sold for US$52.7 million at Sotheby's Now and Contemporary Evening Auction in New York, becoming the fifth-most expensive Basquiat ever auctioned. The work, estimated at over US$45 million and backed by an irrevocable bid, hammered at US$45.3 million to a telephone bidder represented by Sotheby's Lucius Elliott. The auction totaled US$266.8 million with fees, selling 40 of 44 lots, and combined with the preceding Robert Mnuchin collection sale—led by Mark Rothko's 'Brown and Blacks in Reds' at US$85.8 million—the evening brought in US$433.1 million.

Richter works from gallerist Marian Goodman and Donald Judd pieces lead Christie's New York auctions

I lavori di Richter della gallerista Marian Goodman e le opere Donald Judd guidano le aste di Christie’s a New York

Christie's New York spring sales opened on May 20, 2026, with two major collections: the minimalist art collection of Henry S. McNeil Jr. and works by Gerhard Richter from the collection of legendary gallerist Marian Goodman. The 42-lot session achieved $162.7 million, with 98% sold by lot. The 21st Century Evening Sale alone reached $136.8 million, a 42% increase over May 2025 and Christie's highest result for the category in five years. Top lots included Donald Judd's "Untitled" (1969) at $12.8 million—a new auction record for a Judd stack—and Richard Artschwager's "Two-Part Invention" (1967) which soared to $635,000 from an estimate of $60,000–80,000. The Goodman collection of eight Richter works, all guaranteed, generated $78.8 million, exceeding expectations.

Elisabetta Sirani, de Bologne à Melbourne

The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne has acquired a painting by the 17th-century Bolognese artist Elisabetta Sirani. The work, a private devotional piece, depicts the infant Jesus holding a swallow, a symbol of Resurrection in Christian iconography. The acquisition adds a significant example of Sirani's work to the museum's collection.

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.

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.

La grande artista Carla Accardi e l’arte italiana sono da record nell’asta da Dorotheum a Vienna

Dorotheum opened its Contemporary Week in Vienna on May 19, 2026, with modern and contemporary art sales that achieved strong results, particularly for Italian artists. Carla Accardi set a new auction record when her 1986 triptych *Fonda Notte Pieno Giorno* sold for €520,000, while works by Piero Dorazio, Emilio Vedova, Marino Marini, and Gino Severini also far exceeded their estimates. Top lots included Claude Monet’s *Waterloo Bridge* (€611,000) and Mikuláš Medek’s *Too Deep a Sleep V* (€546,000).

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.

Museum Art Handing Market Analysis By Application, Type,

A market research report projects the Museum Art Handing Market will grow from $11.83 billion in 2026 to $30.44 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 12.54%. The sector covers professional services for transferring, installing, and deinstalling artworks in museums, including condition assessments, conservation, transportation, and security. Growth is driven by rising demand across industrial, commercial, and technology-oriented applications, increased investments in cultural infrastructure, and the expansion of international traveling exhibitions.