Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 55 link 28 artists, 3 galleries

This month’s blockbuster auctions in New York could bring upwards of $2.5bn

This month's May auctions in New York are projected to generate between $1.8 billion and $2.6 billion across Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, and Bonhams. Major highlights include the estates of legendary dealers Marian Goodman and Robert Mnuchin, with top lots such as Gerhard Richter's *Kerze (Candle)* (est. $35m–$50m) at Christie's and Mark Rothko's *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (est. $70m–$100m) at Sotheby's. Additional offerings include works from the late S.I. Newhouse collection, featuring Jackson Pollock's *Number 7A* and Constantin Brâncuși's *Danaïde*, each estimated at $100m, as well as pieces from the collections of Agnes Gund and Marilyn Arison.

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trending_up market schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 40 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

One of Van Gogh’s greatest watercolours could achieve a record price

Sotheby's New York will auction Vincent van Gogh's watercolor *The Harvest in Provence* (June 1888) on May 19, with an estimate of $25–35 million. The work, larger and more elaborate than a related watercolor at Harvard, was created just days before van Gogh's celebrated oil painting of the same scene. It is signed and titled, suggesting the artist considered it a finished piece rather than a mere study, and he sent it to his brother Theo before completing the oil version.

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 13 link 10 artists

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.

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 11 link 28 artists, 1 gallery

Sotheby’s $304M Modern Evening Auction Confirms the Market Has Found Its Footing

Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction on May 19 achieved $304 million with a 98% sell-through rate across 45 lots, more than doubling the total from the equivalent sale in November. The auction was anchored by fresh-to-market masterpieces, including Henri Matisse's "La Chaise Lorraine" from the Barbier-Müller collection, which sold for $48.4 million—the second-highest price for a Matisse painting at auction. Other highlights included works from the Enrico Donati collection, which generated a combined $58.9 million, and Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" (1909) selling for $42.6 million. The sale contributed to a running combined total of $839.6 million for Sotheby's marquee sales, following strong results from the Mnuchin collection and Contemporary Day Auction.

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trending_up market schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 19 link 28 artists, 3 galleries

Sotheby’s May Auctions: Rothko’s $100M Masterpiece Headlines

Sotheby's is holding its most ambitious May auction series in New York, headlined by Mark Rothko's monumental painting *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957), estimated at $70–100 million. The sales include a dedicated auction for the collection of legendary dealer and collector Robert Mnuchin, valued at over $130 million, featuring works by Rothko, Franz Kline, and Jeff Koons. Other highlights include Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* (1983), estimated at over $45 million, and Willem de Kooning's *Untitled III* (1975), making its auction debut with a $25–35 million estimate. The series spans Modern and Contemporary art, with additional works by Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh.

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 11 link 18 artists

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.

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 13 link 16 artists, 2 galleries

Sotheby’s Hauls In $304 Million at Modern Art Auction, as Market Momentum Continues

Sotheby’s achieved $303.9 million in its modern art auction in New York, led by Henri Matisse’s *La Chaise Lorraine* (circa 1919) at $48.4 million and Pablo Picasso’s *Arlequin (Buste)* at $42.6 million. The sale included an auction record for a painted bottle, René Magritte’s *Femme-bouteille* (1955), which sold for $974,000. The auction featured conservatively priced material from smaller estates, with a 97.6% sell-through rate and a 63% increase over a similar sale last year.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 13, 2026 visibility 20 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

Epstein files reveal Leon Black as a key collector of Van Gogh works

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal that billionaire investor and former Museum of Modern Art chairman Leon Black was a major private collector of works by Vincent van Gogh. The files detail his ownership of at least five significant Van Gogh pieces, including the painting 'Quarry near Saint-Rémy' and the drawing 'Garden with Flowers,' with a combined value exceeding $95 million by 2016.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 19, 2025 visibility 22 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

Van Gogh in 2025: Record prices, memorable shows and the first Korean acquisition

The article reviews the Van Gogh year in 2025, highlighting several key developments. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam faces potential closure unless the Dutch government increases its annual building subsidy from €8.5m to €11m, leading the museum to file a legal complaint. At auction, two Van Gogh paintings sold, with "Parisian Novels" (1887) fetching $62.7m at Sotheby's, a record for his Paris period, and eight drawings were sold, including "Sower in a Wheatfield with setting Sun" (1888) for $11.2m. Acquisitions included "Tarascon Stagecoach" (1888) given to LACMA via the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation, and "Head of a Peasant" (1885) bought by Korean-born gallery owner Hong Gyu Shin, marking the first known Van Gogh acquisition by a Korean.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 14, 2025 visibility 21 link 8 artists, 2 galleries

Van Gogh’s ‘Sower’ will soon go on sale at Sotheby's—where it's set to make record price

Van Gogh's drawing 'Sower in a Wheatfield with setting Sun' (July 1888) will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York on 18 November with an estimate of $8m-$10m. The work, which belonged to the late cosmetics heir and collector Leonard Lauder, is expected to set a new auction record for a Van Gogh drawing if it exceeds the $8.8m achieved by 'La Mousmé' in 2021. The drawing was originally made for the artist Émile Bernard and later passed through notable hands including dealer Ambroise Vollard and critic Théodore Duret before entering the Lauder collection. It will be sold alongside 23 other major works from Lauder's collection, including three important Gustav Klimt paintings, in a sale expected to fetch over $400m.

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trending_up market schedule Sep 26, 2025 visibility 17 link 12 artists, 1 gallery

The story behind the Van Gogh still life that looks destined to become his most expensive Paris painting

Van Gogh's 'Parisian Novels' (November-December 1887) will be the leading lot in the Pritzker sale at Sotheby's, New York on 20 November, with an estimate of $40 million. The still life, depicting 22 books and three pink roses, has been consigned by the estate of Cindy Pritzker, who died in March at age 101. The painting was created during Van Gogh's time living with his brother Theo in Paris and was among the first three works publicly exhibited during his lifetime, at the Société des Artistes Indépendants in March 1888. The Pritzker collection sale also includes 36 other works estimated at $120 million, featuring pieces by Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 8, 2025 visibility 14 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

Revealed: Picasso’s granddaughter owned a Van Gogh—which she sold at Sotheby’s

Marina Picasso, granddaughter of Pablo Picasso, owned a Vincent van Gogh watercolor titled *Woman in a Wood* (September-October 1882), which she sold at Sotheby’s in New York on May 13 for $952,500. The work, which also features a sketch of a fishing boat on its reverse, was purchased by Marina in 1987 through Swiss dealer Jan Krugier from a Tehran-based collector. The sale was not publicly known until just before the auction. The article also notes that a separate Van Gogh oil painting, *In the Dunes* (September 1883), sold at Christie’s the previous day for $4 million from the collection of US businessman Jeffrey P. Draime.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 16 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Revealed: how Van Gogh's nephew exchanged two of the artist's drawings for butter and bacon

In early 1945, during the Dutch 'Hunger Winter' at the end of World War II, Vincent van Gogh's nephew, Vincent Willem van Gogh, exchanged two of the artist's drawings for 35 packets of butter and some bacon. The swap was arranged with the help of artist Charley Toorop and involved the cheese business Visser Kaas in Heiloo. One of the drawings, *Head of a Peasant Woman, left profile* (December 1884–May 1885), is now being offered at Sotheby's on 25 June with an estimate of £400,000–£600,000, suggesting the pair would be worth around £1 million today. The nephew's family was suffering from starvation and tragedy, including the execution of his eldest son by German forces.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 12, 2025 visibility 20 link 43 artists

This month’s New York auctions could bring up to $2.3bn

New York's leading auction houses, including Sotheby's and Christie's, expect to generate between $1.7bn and $2.3bn during their November sales, driven by major consignments such as 55 works from the estate of Leonard Lauder and 37 works from the collection of Jay and Cindy Pritzker. Sotheby's, which has moved its headquarters into the former Whitney Museum's Breuer Building, leads the season with estimated sales of $863m to $1.175bn, featuring Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer (estimated at $150m) and Frida Kahlo's El Sueño (La Cama) (estimated at $40m-$60m).

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 7 link 21 artists

Bidding battle for Matisse leads Sotheby’s $303.3m Modern art evening sale in New York

Sotheby’s Modern evening auction on 19 May in New York achieved $303.3m with fees, falling within its pre-sale estimate of $244m to $322.8m. The standout lot was Henri Matisse’s 1919 painting *La Chaise lorraine*, which sold for $48.4m after a ten-minute bidding battle, becoming the second most valuable Matisse painting at auction. Other highlights included Alberto Giacometti’s *La Clairière (Composition avec neuf figures)* at $23.1m, Pablo Picasso’s *Arlequin (Buste, 1909)* at $42.6m, and a Mark Rothko untitled work on paper at $9.27m. The sale also saw strong demand for works by female Surrealists Leonor Fini and Leonora Carrington, while a Rodin sculpture was passed and a Gottlieb painting was withdrawn.

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trending_up market schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 8 link 14 artists

Robust Sales at Sotheby’s, Phillips Suggest Art Market Upswing

The May 19 evening sales at Sotheby’s and Phillips generated a combined $419.1 million, signaling a potential recovery in the contemporary and modern art market. Sotheby’s brought in $303.9 million—60% more than the previous year—led by a record-breaking $48.4 million Matisse, while Phillips achieved $115.2 million, more than double its 2025 sales. Both auctions saw high sell-through rates, with 98% and 100% of lots sold respectively. Notable lots included a $42.6 million Picasso, a $29.4 million van Gogh drawing, and strong performances by female artists like Lee Bontecou, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 22, 2025 visibility 19 link 6 galleries

air de paris gallery withdrawal art basel switzerland

Air de Paris, a leading French contemporary art gallery, has withdrawn from the 2025 edition of Art Basel in Switzerland after a dispute over booth placement. The gallery was offered a less desirable second-row spot (N3) despite its long history of prime placement (L23) on the second floor. Cofounders Florence Bonnefous and Edouard Merino described the allocation process as "brutal and unfair" in a letter to the fair, which was circulated online. Art Basel defended its decision, stating that placement is at its sole discretion and made in consideration of all 290 participating galleries.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 50 link 26 artists

Sotheby's May Marquee Sales unveiled | Led by Rothko's $70 - 100M Canvas

Sotheby's has unveiled its May marquee sales, headlined by Mark Rothko's monumental painting "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957), estimated at $70–100 million. The sales open with a dedicated auction of works from dealer and collector Robert Mnuchin, followed by The Now & Contemporary Art Evening Auction on May 14, led by a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting valued at over $45 million. Additional highlights include works from the collections of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, Jennifer Gilbert, and David and Shoshanna Wingate, alongside a Modern Evening Auction on May 19 featuring Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" (est. over $40 million) and Vincent van Gogh's "La Moisson en Provence" (est. $25–35 million).

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