Phillips’s marquee spring auction in New York achieved a sold-out result, bringing in $91.73 million hammer ($115.2 million with fees), more than double the equivalent sale from a year ago. The top lot was Andy Warhol’s *Sixteen Jackies* (1964), which sold for $13.5 million ($16.2 million with fees), while a Jackson Pollock drip painting that had failed to sell in a previous auction found a buyer at $7.4 million. Fierce bidding occurred for contemporary works by artists with tightly controlled primary markets, such as Salman Toor, whose *Two Friends* (2020) surpassed its high estimate.
The result signals a robust recovery in the high-end art market, with Phillips outperforming its own recent sales and demonstrating strong demand across price tiers. The sale’s success, supported by guarantees on over half the lots, suggests that collectors remain active and selective, favoring rare or tightly-supplied works over trophy pieces. The auction also highlights ongoing market dynamics, including the resolution of a previous default by film producer David Mimran on the Pollock painting, which was re-offered with a lower estimate and sold successfully.