Record Prices, New Buyers and Global Reach: Design’s Moment Has Arrived

Global auction sales for design, decorative arts, and furniture surged 20.4 percent to $172 million in the first half of 2025, according to ArtTactic, while other art market segments declined. Sotheby’s design sales in New York and Paris reached $75 million combined, among the highest totals ever for the category, with Christie’s and Phillips also posting strong results. Record prices were set for works by Tiffany Studios, including the Danner Memorial Window ($12.4 million) and a Frank Lloyd Wright lamp ($7.5 million), fueled by new and younger buyers and institutional acquisitions.

Ten Highlights From New York’s Spring Marquee Auctions

New York's spring marquee auctions are set for May 2025, with Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips presenting strong lineups after a 25% drop in total public sales in 2024. Highlights include the $250 million Leonard and Louise Riggio collection at Christie's, featuring Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (est. $50 million), and Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (est. over $70 million) at Sotheby's. Other top lots include Lucio Fontana's *The End of God*, Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Baby Boom*, a Rothko from the Bass mansion, Claude Monet's *Crepuscular Peupliers*, Olga de Amaral's evening sale debut, a trove of 40 Roy Lichtenstein works, and an Ed Ruscha piece. The sales test market resilience amid supply constraints and a cautious art market.

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.

On Arte, 'The Stolen Painting' dives into auction houses through the rediscovery of an Egon Schiele looted by the Nazis

Sur Arte, « Le Tableau volé » plonge dans les salles de ventes aux enchères à travers la redécouverte d’un Egon Schiele spolié par les nazis

Director Pascal Bonitzer’s film 'Le Tableau volé' (The Stolen Painting) dramatizes the real-life 2005 discovery of a lost Egon Schiele masterpiece, 'Autumn Sun,' in the modest home of a factory worker in Mulhouse. The narrative follows a cynical auctioneer, played by Alex Lutz, as he navigates the authentication and eventual sale of the work, which was looted by the Nazis from Jewish collector Karl Grünwald during World War II.

Sotheby’s Launches Museum Partnership Series, Starting with Exhibition by New York’s Hispanic Society Museum & Library

Sotheby's has launched a new exhibition initiative called 'In Residence' at its Breuer building on Madison Avenue, starting with a presentation of three paintings by Spanish master Joaquín Sorolla from the collection of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. The inaugural show, titled 'In Residence: The Hispanic Society Sorollas,' opened Monday and runs through June 1, featuring works including 'Sea Idyll' (1909), 'Louis Comfort Tiffany' (1911), and 'Señora de Sorolla in a Spanish Mantilla' (1902). This marks the first partnership between Sotheby's and the Hispanic Society, and the first edition of a broader program inviting museums to stage focused exhibitions inside the Breuer building, which previously housed the Whitney Museum and the Met Breuer.

Artemisia Gentileschi Masterpiece Goes to Auction—Without Its Face

The Dorotheum auction house in Vienna is set to auction a rare, autograph replica of Artemisia Gentileschi’s 'St. Mary Magdalen' (c. 1620) that is missing its central focus: the saint's face. Discovered in a private German cellar in 2011 and likely mutilated during the looting of postwar Berlin, the fragment has been authenticated by experts Roberto Contini and Riccardo Lattuada. Despite the missing section, infrared analysis confirms Gentileschi’s hand, and the work is estimated to fetch between $120,000 and $170,000.

adolf hitler artwork auction germany

A group of 14 watercolors and drawings by Adolf Hitler, dated from 1904 to 1922, will be auctioned at the Weidler auction house in Nuremberg, Germany, between June 18 and 20. The works are expected to sell for between €1,000 and €45,000 each, following a previous sale of a Hitler watercolor that fetched €130,000 in November last year.

how the dinosaur came roaring back

2025 has been a landmark year for dinosaur fossils in the art world, marked by high-profile sales, seizures, and ethical controversies. In November, a pair of Allosaurus fossils and a Stegosaurus skeleton worth £12 million ($15.6 million) were seized by the UK's National Crime Agency from Binghai Su, a Chinese national linked to a major money-laundering case in Singapore. The fossils had been purchased at Christie's Jurassic Icons auction in 2024. Meanwhile, Sotheby's sold a juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil for $30.5 million in July, far exceeding its $6 million estimate, and Phillips entered the dinosaur market for the first time, selling a juvenile Triceratops skeleton for $5.4 million in November. The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever, a Stegosaurus named Apex bought by hedge fund titan Kenneth Griffin for $44.6 million in 2024, was loaned to the American Museum of Natural History.

kansas church tiffany window sale

First Presbyterian Church in Topeka, Kansas, is selling one of its ten Tiffany stained-glass windows at Sotheby's Design sale on December 10. The Jonathan Thomas Memorial Window, a rare medallion window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself in 1910, carries an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million. The church cites the high cost of maintaining its historic building and the Tiffany windows—sending just one window for repair cost over $50,000—as the reason for the sale. The auction also features a magnolia floor lamp designed by Agnes Northrup, estimated at $2 million to $3 million.

interest in asian art strong despite challenges art market

The autumn edition of Asia Week New York is underway, with auction houses reporting strong interest in Asian art despite broader economic challenges. Bonhams kicked off the week with sales totaling $7.3 million, including Chinese ceramics and snuff bottles, though it offered 47% fewer lots than last year. Top results included a blue-and-white jar selling for $1.75 million and a pair of famille rose dishes for $1.5 million. Christie’s sold a Vasudeo S. Gaitonde painting for $2.35 million and a Tyeb Mehta work for nearly $2 million. New US tariffs under the Trump administration have added uncertainty, particularly for cross-border consignments and purchases.

fbi recovers paintings university new mexico harwood museum art

The FBI has recovered two paintings stolen 40 years ago from the University of New Mexico's Harwood Museum of Art in Taos. Victor Higgins's oil painting *Aspens* (c. 1932) and Joseph Henry Sharp's portrait *Oklahoma Cheyenne aka Indian Boy in Full Dress* (c. 1915) were taken in March 1985, when the building housed a public library with a museum on the second floor. The recovery was triggered by a late 2023 tip from investigative reporter Lou Schachter to museum executive director Juniper Leherissey, who then led an Art Recovery Task Force. The paintings had been sold in 2018 by the Scottsdale Auction House under altered titles, and were located, recovered, and returned to the museum on May 12, 2025, with a public unveiling on June 6.

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.

How Pharrell’s Joopiter Is Redefining What an Auction House Can Be

Pharrell Williams launched his own auction platform, Joopiter, after finding traditional auction houses ill-suited to sell his collection of fashion, jewelry, and timepieces. The platform has rapidly expanded from single-owner sales into a multi-category auction house, handling luxury goods, sports memorabilia, pop culture artifacts, and contemporary art, with a recent headline lot being a $5 million Triceratops skeleton named Trey.

art fairs luxury collaborations 2025 market

In 2025, art fairs and auction houses have deepened their integration with luxury brands, with Sotheby's and Christie's reporting that luxury items like handbags, jewels, and watches now account for a significant share of revenue—roughly a third at Sotheby's, with private luxury sales surging 350% year-on-year. Art fairs such as Frieze London and Art Basel's global editions have moved beyond traditional sponsorship, embedding luxury partners like Tiffany & Co., Ray-Ban, Stone Island, and De Beers into curated sections, mentorship programs, and immersive installations. Industry figures like Marc Spiegler and Emily Glazebrook emphasize that the most successful collaborations prioritize artists over brands, with initiatives like UBS's Unlimited sector and the Chanel Culture Fund serving as models.

report rebounding art auction market 2025 arttactic

ArtTactic's year-end report reveals that the global art auction market rebounded to $4.55 billion in 2025, an 11.1% increase from 2024. Sotheby's saw a 17% sales jump and Christie's a nearly 7% rise. Historic single-owner sales, including estates of Leonard Lauder, Cindy and Jay Pritzker, and Pauline Karpidas, drove recovery with $884.9 million in total. Old Masters, Impressionist, and modern art surged 42.3% year-on-year, while contemporary and post-war art lagged. The trophy market (works over $10 million) grew 19.4% to $1.48 billion, led by Impressionist art up 80.4% to $1.04 billion, fueled by three Gustav Klimt canvases from the Lauder collection.

alex rotter christies private auctions market rebound interview

Christie’s Global President Alex Rotter discusses the auction house’s strong November sales, which brought in $690 million across two evening sales in New York, with sell-through rates exceeding 96%. In an interview with ARTnews, Rotter attributes the rebound to restored confidence rather than a sudden influx of money, noting that he sensed a turning point as early as September through subtle improvements in mid-season sell-through rates. He also addresses Christie’s growing use of private auctions, which he describes as "basically a private sale, just with competition."

christies four paris art week 2025 auctions

Christie's and Sotheby's both posted strong results during Paris Art Week 2025, with Christie's four auctions totaling $107.4 million—a 16% increase year-over-year—and Sotheby's two sales reaching €89.7 million ($104 million), a 50% rise from the previous year. The top lot at Christie's was Yves Klein's monumental painting *California (IKB 71)*, which sold for €18.4 million ($21.4 million), setting a record for the artist in France. Other artists including Max Ernst, Paul Signac, Lee Ufan, and Berthe Morisot also achieved new auction records in France during the week.

barbara hepworth takes top lot at londons british art sales

London's auction houses held seven sales of Modern British art this week, achieving £22.3 million (including buyer's premium) against a presale estimate range of £21.3 million to £31.7 million. A total of 547 of 705 lots sold, a 77.6% sell-through rate. Bonhams struggled, with half its top lots unsold, including a Henry Moore bronze estimated at £1–2 million, but Pyms gallery and art adviser Wentworth Beaumont bought key works below estimate. Sotheby's raised £6.4 million, led by Edward Burra's *Striptease, Harlem* (1934) at £842,500, and a Paul Nash watercolor tripled its estimate to £212,500. Christie's achieved the highest total at £12 million, topped by Barbara Hepworth's *Figure (Sunion)* (1960), bought by Pyms gallery for over £800,000.

by the numbers christies 20th century sale totals modest 217 million

Christie’s held a doubleheader evening sale on May 12, 2025, featuring its regular 20th-century art auction and the Riggio collection. The various-owners sale achieved $216.9 million in total sales after fees, a 52% decline from the $413 million equivalent sale the previous year. The top lot was Claude Monet’s *Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule* (1891), which sold for $42.9 million with fees. The sale had a 94% sell-through rate, with 34 of 36 lots sold and none bought in. Notable moments included a new auction record for Dorothea Tanning at $2.3 million and a strong result for Remedios Varo’s *Revelación* (1955) at $6.22 million.

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.

christies names alex rotter global president

Christie’s has promoted Alex Rotter to global president, a new role in which he will retain his existing title as global chairman of 20th- and 21st-century art. Rotter will collaborate with regional presidents and global chairmen to develop strategies for auction and private sales. He joined Christie’s in 2017 after 16 years at Sotheby’s and created the “20/21” department, which unified postwar, contemporary, and Impressionist and modern art sales. Rotter has overseen landmark sales including Jeff Koons’s *Rabbit* (1986) for $91 million, Andy Warhol’s *Shot Sage Blue Marilyn* (1964) for $195 million, and Leonardo da Vinci’s *Salvator Mundi* (ca. 1500) for $450 million.

art nicole eisenman 52 walker politics

Nicole Eisenman's solo exhibition "STY" is on view at 52 Walker in New York through January 10, 2026. The show features recent paintings including "The Auction" (2025) and "Archangel (The Visitors)" (2024), which blend styles from realism to post-Cubist caricature. Curated by Ebony L. Haynes, the gallery is transformed into a single room lined with Homasote board, creating an intimate studio-like atmosphere that includes reference ephemera from Eisenman's Brooklyn studio, such as a printout of Martin Kippenberger's 1984 abstraction.

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.

us mashal auction basquiat picasso diane arbus 1mdb scandal

The US Marshals Service is auctioning four artworks by Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Diane Arbus that were surrendered to the US Department of Justice in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The online-only auction, run by Gaston and Sheehan auction house in Texas, began on July 16 and closes on September 4, with no buyer's premium. The works include Basquiat's *Self Portrait* (1982) and *Red Man One* (1982), Picasso's *Tête de taureau et broc* (1939), and Arbus's *Child with a Toy Hand Grenade* (1962). The pieces were linked to fugitive financier Jho Low and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who surrendered them after they were located in Switzerland.

mark leckey art school

Artist Mark Leckey piloted a free month-long art course called Music and Video Lab this summer in Redruth, Cornwall, aimed at attracting people aged 18 to 25 who lack access to formal art education. The course, costing £15,000 with support from Arts Council England, was initiated by curator Teresa Gleadowe of CAST and artist Liam Jolly of Auction House, with final works screened at CAST from August 5 through September 3.

magritte drawing found ebay auction rago wright

A recently discovered drawing by René Magritte, purchased on eBay for $1,580, will headline Rago/Wright's Post War & Contemporary Art auction on May 21. The untitled work on paper, executed in ballpoint pen, colored pencil, and pencil, depicts oversize chess pieces amid soft clouds—motifs Magritte used throughout his career. It is estimated to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000. The drawing once belonged to Mora Henskens, companion of Magritte's close friend Harry Torczyner, and was acquired directly from the artist's widow, Georgette Berger Magritte, after his death in 1967. It remained in Henskens's collection until 2022, when it sold through a smaller auction house before resurfacing on eBay.

Louisiana reunites Basquiat's 'Heads' for the first time

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark is hosting "Headstrong," the first museum exhibition in Scandinavia dedicated to Jean-Michel Basquiat. The show reunites 49 works on paper created between 1981 and 1984 that focus on the artist's depiction of the head—works Basquiat originally kept for himself and which were only discovered after his death. The exhibition includes the record-breaking 1982 "Untitled" painting, which previously sold for $110.5 million.

Working as an Artist in Hong Kong (Michelle Fung)

Michelle Fung reflects on the realities of working as an artist in Hong Kong, dispelling the romantic myth of the bohemian artist. She describes the city's high cost of living, lack of affordable studio space, and the need for artists to take on multiple jobs—from teaching to selling secondhand handbags—to survive. Fung notes that while Hong Kong offers a vibrant art scene with over 70 galleries and a dozen museums, most artists cannot rely on gallery sales alone. She also critiques the Hong Kong Arts Development Council's grant system, which covers project expenses but provides minimal artist fees, contrasting it with more generous systems in Canada and the Netherlands.

men guilty forging selling fake royal furniture versailles

An antiques expert and a cabinet maker have been found guilty of forging and selling nine imitation 18th-century armchairs that they falsely claimed belonged to French royalty, including Marie Antoinette. Georges "Bill" Pallot, a leading furniture expert, and Bruno Desnoues, a former Versailles restorer, sold the fakes through Paris galleries and Sotheby's to the Château of Versailles and private collectors, including Qatari Prince Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani and an Hermès family heir. Pallot was sentenced to four years in prison (44 months suspended), fined €200,000, and banned from working as an expert for five years; Desnoues received three years (32 months suspended) and a €100,000 fine. Both must pay €1.6 million in indemnities. The gallery Laurent Kraemer was acquitted, with the court ruling it was also a victim.

Christie’s to hold its first South Asian Modern art sale in London in seven years

Christie's auction house is launching a major sale titled 'Sublime Shadows' in London on June 11, featuring 93 works of South Asian Modern and contemporary art from an anonymous private collection. This marks the auction house's first dedicated South Asian Modern art sale in London since 2019, highlighting a surge in market activity and curatorial interest for the category.