Christie's 21st-century evening sale in New York on Wednesday night achieved $123.6 million, just below its $126 million high estimate and 16% above last year's sale. The sale featured 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson, which brought in $49.2 million against a $30 million estimate. The top lot was Christopher Wool's "Untitled (RIOT)" (1990), selling for $19.8 million. New auction records were set for Firelei Báez ($1.1 million) and Olga de Amaral ($3.1 million). Only one of 45 lots failed to sell—a Cecily Brown painting estimated at $4–6 million. The sale was characterized by careful use of third-party guarantees and lowered reserves, with art advisor Aileen Agopian noting bidding was "deep and robust" despite a flat atmosphere.
The Edlis-Neeson consignment, which includes more than 150 lots estimated at around $50 million, will be offered over the next 18 months, with additional pieces in the day sale and December design sales. The couple were major philanthropists, having donated 44 iconic works valued at $500 million to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2018. The sale's success demonstrates the continued strength of the high-end art market, even as it contrasts with the previous night's $706 million bonanza at Sotheby's. The results also highlight the enduring appeal of blue-chip artists like Warhol and Ruscha, and the rising market for contemporary stars like Amy Sherald and Firelei Báez.