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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Pace Gallery Lands Brancusi Estate on Eve of Potential $100 Million Sale

Pace Gallery has secured global representation of the Constantin Brancusi Estate, announcing plans for a London exhibition this fall curated by art historian Jérôme Neutres. The news coincides with the auction of Brancusi's 1917 sculpture *Danaïde* at Christie's New York, estimated at $100 million, from the collection of late media mogul S.I. Newhouse. The estate was previously represented by Kasmin gallery, which closed last year. Pace's CEO Marc Glimcher emphasized the gallery's investment in modernist expertise and its ambition to become a market center for Brancusi works.

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.

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.

Sotheby’s $433 Million Contemporary Evening and Mnuchin Sales Kicked Off New York’s May Marquee Auctions

Sotheby's held two major evening sales in New York—the Mnuchin collection sale and The Now & Contemporary Evening Auction—generating a combined $433.1 million. The Mnuchin sale achieved a white-glove result of $166.3 million, led by Mark Rothko's *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957) which sold for $85.8 million, while the contemporary auction reached $266.8 million, with Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* as the top lot. The results fell within presale estimates but marked a 133% increase over last May's contemporary sales.

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.

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.

Rothko from Robert Mnuchin collection fetches US$85.8m, becoming artist’s second-priciest work at auction

A red-and-black Mark Rothko painting, *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957), sold for US$85.8 million at Sotheby’s New York on May 14, becoming the artist’s second-most expensive work at auction. The canvas came from the collection of Robert Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner turned gallerist, and was the star lot of a dedicated 11-lot evening sale that totaled US$166.3 million. The winning bid was placed by Sotheby’s chairman Helena Newman on behalf of a telephone client, with the hammer falling at US$74 million against an estimate of US$70–100 million. The painting was originally owned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and hung in the lobby of the Seagram Building, a landmark of corporate modernism designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rothko Sells for $85.8 Million, Almost Surpasses Auction Record

Sotheby’s New York sold Mark Rothko’s painting *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957) for $85.8 million on Thursday, making it the second-highest price ever achieved for the artist at auction. The work, part of Rothko’s postwar Color Field series, was offered from the private collection of the late art dealer Robert Mnuchin, whose estate also included works by Willem de Kooning. The Mnuchin sale totaled $166.3 million, with de Kooning’s *Untitled* (1970) fetching $8.8 million and *Untitled XLII* (1983) reaching $10.2 million. Bidding lasted about four minutes, with the winning bid placed via phone with Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe.

Jackson Pollock painting sells for record $181m at Christie’s in New York

Jackson Pollock's painting *Number 7A, 1948* sold for a record $181.2 million at Christie’s in New York, becoming the fourth most expensive work ever sold at auction. The sale also saw record prices for works by Constantin Brâncuși, Mark Rothko, and Joan Miró, with Brâncuși's bronze head *Danaïde* fetching $107.6 million and Rothko's *No 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* selling for $98.4 million.

Sotheby’s Posts $433 Million Haul, as Trophy Lots Continue to Carry the Market

Sotheby's May 2025 evening auctions in New York generated $433.1 million, a 132.7% increase over the same sales last spring, despite offering fewer lots. The evening featured an 11-lot sale from the collection of the late banker-turned-dealer Robert Mnuchin, which alone brought in $166.3 million, led by Mark Rothko's "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957) selling for $85.8 million. The main contemporary art auction, including "The Now" sale, totaled $266.8 million, with over 80% of lots guaranteed. Four works went unsold and one was withdrawn, yielding a 91% sell-through rate.

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.

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.

Nicole Kidman's Billion-Dollar Breakfast at Christie's

Christie's held a record-setting evening sale on May 18, 2025, that generated over $1 billion, featuring a promotional video starring Nicole Kidman. Jackson Pollock's drip painting "Number 7A, 1948" sold for $181.2 million, nearly tripling the artist's previous auction record, while Constantin Brancusi's bronze bust "Danaïde" (c. 1913) fetched $107.6 million, becoming the second most expensive sculpture ever sold. The works came from the collection of late magazine magnate S.I. Newhouse, and a Rothko from Agnes Gund's collection also set a new artist record at $98.4 million.

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.

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.

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.

Jackson Pollock breaks auction record with $181 million painting.

Jackson Pollock's painting *Number 7A* (1948) sold for $181.2 million at Christie’s in New York, shattering the previous auction record for the Abstract Expressionist artist by nearly three times. The evening sales also set new auction records for Mark Rothko and Constantin Brâncuși, and realized over $1 billion in a single evening, only the second time in auction history that threshold has been crossed.

Sotheby’s Summer Sale Gathers $433.1M, Thanks To Rothko Painting

Sotheby’s summer contemporary auction in New York raised $433.1 million, far exceeding the $186.1 million from its comparable sale last year. The highlight was the $85.8 million sale of Mark Rothko’s *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957) from the estate of late dealer Robert Mnuchin and his wife Adriana, whose 11 blue-chip works fetched $166.3 million against a $130 million estimate. Other top lots included Jean-Michel Basquiat’s *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* at $52.7 million and Willem de Kooning’s *Untitled III* at $26 million.