Results at the Big Three Auction Houses Tell Two Different Stories
An Artnet News mid-year review published July 11, 2026, compared January–June fine-art auction results at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips using the Artnet Price Database. Phillips reported on July 7 that its first-half 2026 sales rose 60% year over year to $507 million, while Christie’s and Sotheby’s were expected to release their own half-year results the following week. Through June, Christie’s led with $2.7 billion sold, an 88% sell-through rate, and an average price of $326,900 per lot—up 78% from the same period in 2025—driven largely by its May New York marquee week that brought in $1.4 billion and included works from collections such as S.I. Newhouse, Agnes Gund, and Marian Goodman. Sotheby’s posted $2.3 billion through June, an 87.7% sell-through rate, and a $350,300 average lot price, representing an 88% year-over-year jump, reflecting a market recovery concentrated at the top end.
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This story was covered in Auction Whiplash and Museum Power Plays