Christie's New York auctioned 16 works from the collection of late media magnate S.I. Newhouse for a total of $630.8 million, far exceeding the $450 million estimate. The top lot was Jackson Pollock's "Number 7A" (1948), which sold for $181.2 million, setting a new auction record for the Abstract Expressionist and making him the latest artist to join the $100 million club. Minutes earlier, Constantin Brancusi's bronze sculpture "Danaïde" (1913) achieved $107.6 million, also a record for the Romanian modernist and the second-highest price ever for a sculpture at auction.
The sale underscores the enduring strength of the ultra-high-end art market, where trophy works from prestigious collections continue to command extraordinary prices. The Pollock record—nearly tripling the previous $61.2 million mark—highlights the scarcity of iconic drip paintings in private hands, while the Brancusi result reaffirms the demand for modernist sculpture. Christie's ability to secure such prices in a single evening signals that blue-chip art remains a powerful asset class for wealthy collectors.