Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule May 13, 2025 visibility 22 link 16 artists

christies riggio modern art new york evening auctions 2025

Christie’s spring marquee auctions in New York brought in a combined $489 million with fees across two evening sales: the Leonard & Louise Riggio: Collected Works sale and the 20th Century sale. The Riggio collection, featuring 39 works heavy on Surrealism, modernism, and Minimalism, achieved $272 million with buyer’s premium, led by Piet Mondrian’s Composition With Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue (1922) at $47.56 million and René Magritte’s L’empire des lumières (1949) at $34.9 million. The 20th Century sale included major canvases by Monet, Rothko, and Warhol, but the hammer total of $409 million fell below the $446 million pre-sale low estimate, indicating the auction house did not meet expectations.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 21, 2025 visibility 16 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

lynne drexler painting sets a record at christies

Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art day sale on Thursday achieved $88.7 million, with an 88% sell-through rate by lot and 90% by value. The standout lot was Lynne Drexler’s 1960 painting *Keller Fair II*, which sold for $2,027,000—shattering her previous auction record by nearly $500,000 and far exceeding its $800,000–$1.2 million estimate. The work, a dense abstraction from Drexler’s early 1960s period, was described by advisors and dealers as a rare, exceptional example.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 30, 2026 visibility 23 link 6 artists

Art trade stays buoyant amid global turmoil

Major London auction houses Sotheby's and Christie's posted strong results in early March, with their Modern and contemporary art evening sales raising £131m and £197m respectively. These figures represented significant increases over the previous year, with high sell-through rates, despite concurrent geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East. Key lots included Francis Bacon's 'Self Portrait' selling for £16m and Henry Moore's 'King and Queen' achieving a record £26.3m.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 6, 2026 visibility 31 link 14 artists

christies london sales 2026

Christie’s London achieved a robust £197.5 million ($263.8 million) across three evening sales, marking a significant 52 percent increase over the previous year. The marathon auction event included the 20th/21st Century sale, the Art of the Surreal sale, and a dedicated session for the Roger and Josette Vanthournout collection. Highlighting the evening was a record-breaking £26 million sale for Henry Moore’s sculpture "King and Queen," alongside strong performances for works by Dorothea Tanning and Toyen.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 21, 2025 visibility 16 link 10 artists

phillips evening sale 2025 stats

Phillips held its Modern and contemporary art evening sale in New York on Wednesday night, achieving $67.3 million in total sales—a 24.4 percent increase from the same auction last November. The sale featured 33 lots with a 94 percent sell-through rate, including a triceratops fossil that sold for $5.4 million through a partnership with natural history dealer Christian Link. Top lots included Francis Bacon's *Study for Head of Isabel Rawsthorne and George Dyer* (1967) at $16 million with premium, Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Exercise* (1984) at $3.8 million, and two works by Ruth Asawa. Only one artwork, a Jadé Fadojutimi, failed to sell, and there were no withdrawals.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 21, 2025 visibility 22 link 16 artists

sothebys surrealism modern auction november 2025 new york

On Thursday night, Sotheby’s concluded a week of evening sales with a three-part modern art auction that achieved $304.6 million, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $211.3–$289.3 million. The evening featured 13 works from the collection of Cindy and Jay Pritzker, which sold for $109.5 million, followed by the 'Exquisite Corpus' Surrealist sale from Selma Ertegun’s collection totaling $98 million, and a multiple-owner modern art auction that brought in $97 million. The standout was Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait *El sueño (La cama)* (1940), which sold for $55 million, setting records for Kahlo, a Latin American artist, and a female artist at auction. Vincent van Gogh’s *Piles de romans parisiens et roses dans une verre (Romans parisiens)* (1887) achieved $62.7 million after a seven-minute bidding war.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 28, 2025 visibility 15 link 7 artists

sothebys records highest ever totals in france for surrealist and modern sales during art basel paris week

Sotheby's Paris achieved record-breaking totals for surrealist and modern art auctions during Art Basel Paris week, with combined sales of €89.7 million ($104 million) across its Surrealism and Its Legacy and Modernités sales—a 50 percent increase over the same event last year. The top lot was Amedeo Modigliani's *Elvire en buste* (1918-1919), which sold for €27 million ($31.3 million), the highest auction price for a painting by the Italian artist in France and the most valuable work ever sold by Sotheby's Paris. Other highlights included Modigliani's *Raymond* (1915) at €10.6 million, René Magritte's *La Magie Noire* (1934) at €10.7 million, and a complete set of Pablo Picasso's *Séries 347* etchings, which set a French auction record for any print by the artist.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jul 16, 2025 visibility 8 link 5 artists

global auction sales h1 2025 arttactic analysis

Global auction sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips fell 6.2% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, while the number of lots sold rose 1.3%. ArtTactic’s analysis reveals significant category shifts: post-war and contemporary art dropped 19.3% to $1.22 billion, impressionist and modern art fell 7.7% to $989.5 million, and luxury sales were nearly flat. In contrast, Old Masters surged 35.6% to $171.2 million, and design, decorative arts, and furniture rose 20.4% to $172 million. The decline in high-value trophy lots, including the withdrawal of Andy Warhol’s *Big Electric Chair* and Alberto Giacometti’s *Grande tête mince*, contributed to the slump in contemporary sales.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 22 link 16 artists

new york sales underperform may 2025

Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips collectively fell short of their spring auction expectations, bringing in just over $1 billion in evening sales against estimates of $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion. The hammer total of $837.5 million was down from $1.4 billion in the same week last year and $1.8 billion in 2022, with a notable drop in high-priced works and fading interest in emerging artists. The top ten lots generated $278.6 million, a 63 percent decline from 2022, and only a handful of artists under 45 appeared in evening sales, compared to previous years.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

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.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 19, 2026 visibility 4 link 4 artists

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.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 6, 2026 visibility 36 link 18 artists

Henry Moore and Dorothea Tanning set records at Christie's triple-header sale in London

Christie’s London achieved a robust £197.4 million total across three evening sales, representing a 52% year-on-year increase for the season. The marathon auction was defined by a high 96% sell-through rate and record-breaking prices for major artists, most notably Henry Moore, whose sculpture "King and Queen" sold for £26.3 million. The evening demonstrated a strong appetite for "fresh to market" works and Surrealist masterpieces, even as some lots hammered at the lower end of their estimates.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Nov 21, 2025 visibility 22 link 17 artists

Frida Kahlo self-portrait sells for $54.7m at Sotheby's, breaking her auction record

Sotheby's held three back-to-back evening sales in New York on November 20, achieving a combined total of $252.9 million ($304.5 million with fees). The highlight was Frida Kahlo's self-portrait *El sueño (La cama)* (1940), which sold for $54.6 million with fees, setting a new auction record for the artist, for a Latin American artist, and for a female artist. The sales included 13 lots from the estate of Cindy and Jay Pritzker, a group of Surrealist works from an unnamed collection, and a multiple-owner Modern art sale featuring collections from the Bucksbaum family and Geri Brawerman.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 1, 2025 visibility 16 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

Hong Kong’s latest art auctions see turnover lingering at 8-year low

Hong Kong's major auction houses—Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's—held their seasonal modern and contemporary art evening sales over the past weekend, with total turnover lingering at an eight-year low. Despite the overall downturn, a handful of records and last-minute withdrawals improved the success ratio, and several lots drew vigorous bidding, such as Salvo's "Mattino di primavera (Spring Morning)" which sold for HK$4 million (five times its low estimate) and Firenze Lai's "Basic Knot" which fetched HK$477,300 (nearly four times its low estimate).

newspaper South China Morning Post open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jun 25, 2025 visibility 20 link 15 artists

Nudes by Tamara de Lempicka and Jenny Saville lead quiet Sotheby’s Modern and contemporary sale

Sotheby’s June Modern and contemporary art evening sale in London netted £50.8m (£62.5m with fees) from 48 lots, with an 87% sell-through rate, falling below the pre-sale estimate of £55.2m to £81.1m and marking a 25% decrease from last year’s equivalent sale. The top lot was Tamara de Lempicka’s *La Belle Rafaëla* (1927), which sold for £6.1m (£7.4m with fees), while a Jenny Saville drawing *Mirror* (2011-12) achieved an auction record for the artist at £1.7m (£2.1m with fees). Several high-profile works were passed, including Egon Schiele’s *Portrait Study (Head of a Girl, Hilde Ziegler)* and Barbara Hepworth’s *Vertical Forms*, reflecting cautious bidding in a bearish market.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 19, 2026 visibility 6 link 9 artists

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.

newspaper Artsy Editorial open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jul 8, 2025 visibility 12 link 4 artists

How Third-Party Guarantees Are Quietly (But Significantly) Rewriting the Rules of the Art Auction

The article reports that the New York Spring Marquee auctions in May 2025 generated $1.27 billion, an 8% decline from $1.38 billion in May 2024, followed by a 26% drop in London June auctions to £98 million. In response to this volatile market, auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s are increasingly relying on third-party guarantees (or irrevocable bids), where a buyer agrees in advance to purchase a lot at a set price if no higher bid emerges. Data from Pi-eX Ltd shows that third-party guarantee coverage surged from near zero in 2021 to a record 73% in May 2025, with the Leonard & Louise Riggio collection being 99% backed by such guarantees.

newspaper observer.com open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 27, 2025 visibility 14 link 6 artists

Basquiat Work Expected To Fetch Up To $525M At Sotheby’s Auction

A recently discovered early painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, created in 1981 when he was 20, will be sold at Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction in New York on May 13. The untitled work, unseen publicly for over 30 years, carries an estimate of $10 million to $15 million. Sotheby’s chairman Grégoire Billault highlighted the piece as a highlight of the Modern Evening Auction, with exhibitions opening May 2 through May 15. The auction also features top lots from Lucio Fontana, Robert Rauschenberg, and the collections of Sally and Victor Ganz and Barbara Gladstone.

newspaper Black Enterprise open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Mar 5, 2026 visibility 18 link 1 artist

Auctions of the week: ancient paintings, Modern art and the Orient

The global art market is entering a high-intensity period between March 5 and 11, 2026, with a dense schedule of auctions spanning Italy, London, Vienna, and Geneva. Major international houses including Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, and Bonhams are hosting marquee 20th and 21st-century art sales in London, while Italian houses like Finarte, Pandolfini, and Bertolami focus on Old Master paintings, design, and private estates. Notable single-owner collections, such as the Roger and Josette Vanthournout Collection and the estate of Antonio Crivellaro, are among the week's highlights.

newspaper Finestre sull'Arte open_in_new Read original