Who Won New York’s $2.1 Billion Auction Week?
During New York’s May auction week, the “Big Three” houses sold around $2.1 billion across their evening sales, more than double the just-over $1 billion achieved in the comparable sales last May. Phillips totaled $115.2 million across 41 lots in its modern and contemporary evening sale, a 121.5% increase year over year, led by Andy Warhol’s Sixteen Jackies (1964) at $16.2 million (against a $15 million low estimate). Christie’s led with a $1.3 billion haul from 105 lots across three evening sales, including the $630.8 million S.I. Newhouse collection, up 115.6% from the same sales last year. Major records at Christie’s included Jackson Pollock’s Number 7A (1948) at $181.2 million and Constantin Brancusi’s Danaïde (1913) at $107.6 million, while Mark Rothko’s No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe) (1964), owned by Agnes Gund, sold for $98.4 million.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Auction Fever, Museums in the Crossfire