Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule May 18, 2026 visibility 40 link 13 artists, 4 galleries

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.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 49 link 24 artists, 8 galleries

At Frieze New York, Business Plunks Along, Leonardo DiCaprio Alights

At the VIP opening of Frieze New York, collectors were present but subdued, with galleries presenting modest displays and sales proceeding at a sensible, sedate pace. Despite the lack of urgency, business has improved since last year, buoyed by upcoming top-tier auctions. Thaddaeus Ropac confirmed four early sales, including a George Baselitz canvas for €1.4 million and an Alex Katz work for $400,000. David Zwirner’s booth of Joe Bradley paintings was among the buzziest, with all works on hold by early afternoon, while Cindy Sherman photographs at Hauser & Wirth sold steadily. Leonardo DiCaprio made visits, and Kelly Sinnapah Mary’s paintings at James Cohan Gallery sold out, the largest to a museum.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 54 link 19 artists, 2 galleries

The Venice Biennale’s Polite Fiction of Being ‘Above the Market’ Is Wearing Thin

The 61st Venice Biennale is underway, with art world figures flocking to Venice for the opening. While the Biennale is officially a non-selling curatorial platform, commercial interests are increasingly visible: galleries are funding artists' projects to recoup investments, auction houses like Christie's are hosting private selling exhibitions (including a 'Ghost Pavilion' at the Ca' Dario Palazzo), and fashion houses such as Bottega Veneta and Chanel are sponsoring events. Sotheby's has pulled support for the U.S. Pavilion, which is now crowdfunding, while Frieze is bankrolling the British Pavilion for a second time.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 18, 2026 visibility 11 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

A $433 Million Boost for the Market

Sotheby's May 2026 auctions in New York generated $433.1 million in sales over under three hours, a 132.7 percent increase compared to the same period last spring, despite offering fewer lots. This strong performance signals a top-heavy recovery in the art market after three years of contraction. Separately, the Neue Galerie will merge with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2028, and Art Dubai continues despite disruptions from the U.S.-Iran war.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 30 link 7 artists, 3 galleries

Rare Roy Lichtenstein Work Could Net $60 Million at Auction

A long-lost Roy Lichtenstein painting from his iconic 'Girl' series, *Anxious Girl* (1964), has resurfaced after more than 30 years in a private collection and will be offered at Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale in New York on May 18. The work, one of only 10 comic-inspired female portraits Lichtenstein produced during his breakthrough period between 1963 and 1965, carries an estimate of $40–60 million. The consignor acquired it from legendary Pop art patrons Horace and Holly Solomon over three decades ago.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 18 link 14 artists, 2 galleries

Coveted Rothko From Robert Mnuchin’s Collection Nets $85.8 Million in New York

A major Mark Rothko painting, *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957), from the collection of the late financier and dealer Robert Mnuchin, sold for $85.8 million at Sotheby’s New York, becoming the second-highest price ever achieved for the artist at auction. The work, estimated at $70–100 million, was part of an 11-lot sale dedicated to Mnuchin’s collection, which also includes works by Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso, and Franz Kline. A phone bidder won the painting, with Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, handling the bid.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 15 link 10 artists, 2 galleries

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.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 22 link 4 artists

Online Auctions Continue to Draw in First-Time Art Buyers as Sales Grow

Online-only sales of fine art at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions reached $423.9 million in 2025, an 8 percent increase from 2024. The number of lots sold remained steady at 29,623, but the average price per work rose 8.6 percent to $14,309. Sales were 270 percent higher than in 2019, before the pandemic accelerated the shift to digital auctions. Christie’s reported that 63 percent of new buyers in 2025 made their first purchase online.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original