Christie's New York Post-War and Contemporary Art Week of Sales total $153 million Christie’s Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art totaled $114 million, with 68% sold by lot. New world auction records were set for six artists
$3,666,500, and a masterful work on paper by Tom Wesselmann, Study for Great American Nude, 1961 which fetched $986,500 and set an auction record for a work on paper by the artist.
Jeff Koons was represented by Buster Keaton of 1988, which sold for $4,338,500 and demonstrated the continuation of Koons’s Duchampian legacy. The work depicts the silent film icon after which it was named.
The sale drew additional world auction records for Robert Irwin Untitled, painted in 1963-1964 ($1,058500), and Paul McCarthy, Michael Jackson Fucked Up (Big Head) ($2,210,500).
Note: Christie’s also achieved $7,276,500 for Post-War and Contemporary works sold as part of last week’s sales from The Collection of Alice Lawrence.
Tomorrow’s auctions continue with the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sales.
About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world's leading art business with global art sales in 2007 that totalled £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion. This marks the highest total in company and in art auction history. For the first half of 2008, art sales totalled £1.8 billion / $3.5 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as 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 $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Hong Kong and Zurich. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.
