Christie’s evening sale of 21st-century art on Wednesday achieved $123.6 million in total sales, including 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson. The top lot was Christopher Wool’s *Untitled (RIOT)* (1990), which sold for $19.8 million. The sale had a 97 percent sell-through rate, with 36 of 45 lots guaranteed, and the hammer total of $99.7 million exceeded the presale low estimate of $87.5 million. A notable moment was a seven-minute bidding war for a Diego Giacometti coffee table owned by Edlis and Neeson, which sold for $3.65 million against a $1.5–2.5 million estimate.
This sale matters because it reflects a shift in the auction market toward more grounded, competitive bidding after the blockbuster Sotheby’s Lauder Collection sale. The high proportion of third-party guarantees (nearly 80 percent of lots by value) underscores the growing role of financial backers in major auctions, while the intense bidding for older, patina-rich objects like the Giacometti table and an early Cindy Sherman film still signals a renewed appreciation for historical depth among collectors. The results also highlight Christie’s ability to generate strong revenue despite a heavily guaranteed sale.