CHRISTIE'S Realizes a Grand Total of $937.5 Million for the November Sales of Imp&Mod and Pwa/Cty Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, concluded its November Sales of Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary Art in New York with a grand total of $937,463,050.
Works on Paper Sale and the Day Sale. The Evening Sale total was the second highest ever for a sale in art auction history, only second to the legendary November 2006 Evening Sale which offered the Bloch Bauer Klimts and made $491.5. Approximately half of the buyers were American, and the rest was equally divided between European and others. 57 works sold above $1 million, 93% of the lots sold within and above their pre-sale estimate, and the sale was 85% sold by value. The auction offered two spectacular examples of Odalisque-inspired paintings, one by Picasso, Femme accroupie au costume turc (Jacqueline), 1955, which achieved $30.8 million and L’Odalisque, harmonie bleue, painted in 1937 by Henri Matisse, which realized $33.6 million, was the evening’s most expensive work and set a new world auction record for the artist. The most expensive work sold during the day sales was also a Matisse: Figure Assise, tapis rayé, 1920, which fetched $3.2 million.
Post-War and Contemporary Art was offered during three consecutive days. November 12 presented Selections from the Allan Stone Collection, November 13 was dedicated to the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale and November 14 offered the Morning and Afternoon Sessions. The combined total was $464,490,950. The Stone Collection totaled $46,412,300*, was 94% sold by value and set 12 new world auction records for Post-War and Contemporary artists including John Chamberlain and Wayne Thiebaud. The Evening Sale realized $325,006,000, the highest total of the season for Post-War and Contemporary and the second highest result for a sale in this category at Christie’s. It was 94% sold by value and buyers were 51% American, 26% European, and 23% others. Sixteen world auction records were set, 95% of the lots were sold within or above their pre sale estimate and 51 lots sold above one million. Mark Rothko’s Untitled (Red Blue Orange) at $34.2 million was the highest selling lot of the sale. The Morning and Afternoon Sessions accrued $93,072,650 and the highlight of the Morning Session was Robert Indiana’s Love, 1998 which sold for a record $3.5 million while Jean-Michel Basquiat’s In the Wings, 1986 became the highest selling lot in the Afternoon Session at $2.4 million.
About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world's leading art business with global auction sales in 2006 that totalled £2.51 billion / $4.67 billion. Worldwide sales for the first half of 2007 totalled £1.63 billion / $3.25 billion, an increase of 32% by £ and 45% by $ from the same period last year and highest half year sales ever in art market history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service, and international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $600
