Christie’s New York achieved over $1 billion in sales during a two-part evening auction, led by Jackson Pollock’s *Number 7A, 1948* which sold for $181.2 million. The sale, the first billion-dollar night since the Paul G. Allen collection in 2022, also saw records for other works and active bidding from a small group of buyers, including dealer Jeffrey Deitch. However, the blockbuster results mask a more cautious middle market, where works priced between $100,000 and $1 million remain slow to sell.
The disparity between the ultra-high-end auction segment and the broader art market underscores an uneven recovery. While headline-grabbing sales suggest a return to post-pandemic euphoria, advisers and gallerists report that most buyers are still hesitant, taking longer to make decisions. The global art market grew only 4% in 2025 to $59.6 billion, far below the 2022 peak, and the concentration of spending among a handful of bidders highlights the fragility of the recovery beyond the top tier.