Phillips’ Evening Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art achieved a total that more than doubled the previous year's auction result, driven by strong demand for works spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. The sale opened with three lots exceeding their high estimates, including record prices for Lee Bontecou's rare 'Untitled' (1985-2001), which set a new record for any two-dimensional work by the artist after nearly five minutes of bidding. Other records were set for Pat Passlof, P.S. Krøyer, and Joseph Yaeger. Top lots included Andy Warhol's 'Sixteen Jackies' ($16.2 million), Claude Monet's 'La Route de Vétheuil, effet de neige' ($9.9 million), and Jackson Pollock's 'Untitled' ($9.2 million). The sale also featured works from The Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., which achieved a combined $8.4 million, with two Vilhelm Hammershøi works acquired by prominent institutions.
The strong results signal sustained collector confidence and market vitality across multiple periods and price levels, from blue-chip names like Warhol and Monet to emerging and mid-career artists. The success of Phillips' Priority Bidding initiative, which saw a nearly six-fold increase in early selling bids year-over-year, indicates that auction houses are successfully innovating to drive engagement. The sale's performance, combined with records for underrepresented artists like Pat Passlof and the institutional acquisition of Hammershøi works, underscores the enduring appeal of important provenance and the continued strength of the modern and contemporary art market.