Sold-out Phillips auction in New York brings in $115.2m, more than double 2025 result

Phillips’s marquee spring auction in New York achieved a sold-out result, bringing in $91.73 million hammer ($115.2 million with fees), more than double the equivalent sale from a year ago. The top lot was Andy Warhol’s *Sixteen Jackies* (1964), which sold for $13.5 million ($16.2 million with fees), while a Jackson Pollock drip painting that had failed to sell in a previous auction found a buyer at $7.4 million. Fierce bidding occurred for contemporary works by artists with tightly controlled primary markets, such as Salman Toor, whose *Two Friends* (2020) surpassed its high estimate.

november marquee auction sales midpoint analysis

Christie's and Sotheby's November marquee auctions in New York generated a combined $1.4 billion, with Sotheby's achieving a record $706 million from a double-header sale. The highlight was Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" (1914–16), sold for $236.4 million from the collection of late cosmetics heir Leonard Lauder, becoming the most expensive modern artwork ever sold at auction. Christie's Monday sale brought in $690 million, falling short of its $731.5 million high estimate but still marking a 42% increase over its equivalent sale last November.

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.

Claude Lalanne’s set of bronze mirrors shatters artist's auction record at Sotheby's

A set of 15 bronze and copper mirrors by Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million at Sotheby's in New York, shattering the artist's previous auction record and surpassing the record price for works by her late husband and collaborator, François-Xavier Lalanne. The ensemble, which far exceeded its $15 million high estimate, drew fierce competition from five bidders over ten minutes.

sothebys hong kong sells 125 works from japans okada museum for 88 m so founder can settle 50 m legal bill

Sotheby's Hong Kong sold 125 works from Japan's Okada Museum of Art in a white-glove auction on Saturday, netting $88 million (plus fees). The sale set auction records for Japanese artists Kitagawa Utamaro and Hokusai, with Utamaro's *Fukagawa in Snow* fetching $7.1 million and Hokusai's *The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa* selling for $2.8 million. The collection was sold by museum founder Kazuo Okada, an 83-year-old billionaire, to settle a $50 million legal bill stemming from a long-running feud with casino magnate Steve Wynn. Okada's law firm, Bartlit Beck, successfully pursued the fee in binding arbitration after Okada contested the amount.

francois xavier lalanne rhinoceros bar sothebys

Sotheby's design sale in New York achieved the second highest auction price ever for a work by French artist François-Xavier Lalanne, with his monumental sculpture desk *Grand Rhinocrétaire II* (1964) selling for $16.4 million—more than triple its $5 million high estimate. The piece, which opens into a fully functional writing desk, sparked a 13-minute bidding battle. Just weeks earlier, another Lalanne work, *Bar aux Autruches* (1967–68), sold for €11.1 million at Sotheby's Paris. The all-time record for Lalanne remains $19.4 million for *Rhinocrétaire I*, sold at Christie's Paris in 2023.

Christie’s Auction Rakes in $1.1 Billion as Pollock Sells For Triple Record Price

Christie’s generated $1.1 billion in back-to-back evening sales on May 18, driven by record-breaking prices for major artworks. The top lot was Jackson Pollock’s 1948 drip painting *Number 7A*, which sold for $181.2 million with fees, tripling the artist’s previous auction record. Other highlights included Constantin Brancusi’s *Danaïde* (ca. 1913) at $107.6 million, Mark Rothko’s *No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* (1964) at $98.4 million, and Alice Neel’s *Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia)* (1967) at $5.7 million. The sales featured works from the collections of S. I. Newhouse and Agnes Gund.

Sotheby’s secures $120m Pritzker and $400m Lauder collections, with works by Matisse, Munch and Van Gogh

Sotheby’s has secured two major private collections for its autumn New York sales: the Pritzker collection, estimated at $120 million, and the Lauder collection, valued at around $400 million. The Pritzker collection includes Vincent van Gogh’s *Romans Parisiens* (1887) with a $40 million estimate, while the Lauder collection features Gustav Klimt’s *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) estimated at over $150 million, along with works by Matisse, Munch, and Martin. The sales will take place at Sotheby’s new headquarters in the Breuer Building this November.

Christie's Hong Kong autumn sale drops 46% from last year but makes Picasso's record in Asia

Christie's 20/21st Century Autumn sale in Hong Kong on 26 September generated $72.6 million, a 46% drop from the same sale last year and roughly flat compared to its March sale. Despite the decline, a Picasso painting, *Buste de Femme* (1944), set a new Asia record at HK$196.75 million ($25.4 million) after a fierce bidding war. Other top lots included Zao Wou-ki's *17.3.63* (HK$85.2 million) and Yayoi Kusama's *Pumpkin [TWAQN]* (HK$34.66 million). The sale marked the first anniversary of Christie's Asia headquarters in the Henderson building. Sotheby's and Phillips also held autumn sales that weekend, with Sotheby's totaling HK$335.7 million and Phillips achieving HK$160 million.

Bidding frenzy in Monaco as Fernand Léger painting sells for over €680,000

A Fernand Léger painting sold for over €680,000 at Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo on February 4, 2026, leading a modern and contemporary art auction in Monaco. The work, previously exhibited at London’s Tate Gallery in 1963 and held in a single family collection, depicts contrasting objects against a blue background. Other strong results included a Constantin Brancusi portrait of James Joyce that reached €95,000 (far above its €15,000–€20,000 estimate), and sculptures by Jean-Michel Folon (€70,000), Niki de Saint Phalle (€76,000), and Robert Indiana (€140,000).

Competition in the Auction Business’s Middle Market is Fierce, and Growing Fiercer

The auction industry's middle market, generally defined as lots valued below $1 million, is experiencing intense competition and shrinking profit margins. While this segment accounts for the vast majority of transactions and a significant share of auction house earnings, rising overhead and sellers demanding complex financial deals—like enhanced hammers and guarantees—are squeezing profitability. Regional and specialized auction houses are fiercely competing for business against each other and against third-party online platforms.