Sotheby's held its debut evening sale at the Breuer building in New York on November 18, achieving a record-breaking $706 million total. The highlight was the white-glove auction of Leonard A. Lauder's collection of 20th-century masterpieces, which alone brought $527.5 million. Gustav Klimt's portrait *Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) sold for $236.4 million, setting a new record for the artist and for Sotheby's Modern category. The evening also included a strong Contemporary sale led by Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet at $12.1 million, with active bidding from Asian collectors.
The results underscore sustained high-end demand in the art market, with buyers willing to pay premium prices for masterpieces despite broader economic uncertainties. The sale nearly doubled Sotheby's presale expectations and marked the highest single-evening total in the auction house's history, signaling a robust market for trophy works. The strong participation from Asian collectors and the success of the Lauder collection also highlight the continued importance of blue-chip consignments and global buyer networks in driving auction records.