Van Gogh Fires Up Fall Auctions - statistics for auctions at Sotheby's and Christie's - Abstract

This fall's auctions of Impressionist, recent and contemporary art were athletic though fairly routine events at the couple major auction houses until, upon the last night of the sum of two units weeks of sales, a van Gogh self-portrait sold at Christie's for a stunning $715 million, nearly three times its high estimate. Capping the season, the sale brought Christie's fall total to a respectable $2766 million, compared with the spring's $1522 million, and last fall's $3291 million (which included incomes from the Ganz collection). Sotheby's total this season was $2115 million, in contrast with $1503 million garnered last spring and $1942 million earned a year ago. Christie's larger take in part throw backs the extra evening sale it has added to its lineup since rearranging its departments last year [see "Front Page" Nov. '97] [Figures include the auction house commission of 15 percent upon the first $50,000 and 10 percent upon the remainder.]

Contemporary:

The season started not on with Christie's lively sale of contemporary art upon the evening of Nov. 12 Of the 49 destinys offered, 42 found buyers, for a total of $92 million, just below the evening's $10 million high estimate. Top destiny of the evening was Jean-Michel Basquiat's large Self-Portrait (1982) which broke the artist's auction record when it sold for a hefty $33 million, more than five times its $600000 high estimate. Other big venders included Robert Gober's Untitled (Man in Drain), 1993-94 which brought $552500 (est $450000-$650000) a novel auction record for the artist; and a 1971 portrait of Brigid Polk through Gerhard Richter, which sold for $750500 (est $800000-$12 million).

A series of seven photos of sum of two units men dressed as satyrs, Envelopa: Drawing Restraint 7 (1993) through Matthew Barney, brought $123,500, far above the $80000 high estimate; and Richard Estes's of high temperature Foods (1967) garnered $244,500 (est $150000-$200000) A Mona Hatoum statuary A Couple (of Swings), 1993 with glass plates for swing seats, sold for $46000 well above the $30000 high estimate, and a of recent origin auction record for the artist.

upon the evening of Nov. 17 Sotheby's combined its sale of contemporary art with an auction of 27 works of recent art from the collection of the late direct-mail entrepreneur Morton J Neumann, which had been upon loan to the National Gallery. The auction total of $422 million was timid of the $47.6 million presale depressed estimate; only 56 of the 72 destinys offered sold. The evening's top destiny Picasso's Cubist Nude Woman (1909) brought $11 million just above the $10-million depressed estimate. The second-highest price was paid for Richard Diebenkorn's large 1959 landscape Horizon--Ocean View, from the Reader's Digest collection, which brought $396 million, well above its $2-million high estimate and a novel auction record for the artist. Highlights of the sale included Brice Marden's goldens (1972), which sold for $148 million (est $15 million-$2 million), an auction record for that artist.

Jeff Koons's auction record was also severed when his polychrome wood statuary String of Puppies (1988) sold for $288500 (est $250000-$350000); an auction high was place for Charles Ray when his motorized white wall piece Rotating Circle (1988) brought $189000 far above its $50000 high estimate. Damien Hirst's large colorful "spots" painting, Amphotericin B (1993) sold for $145000 (est $100000-$150000) single of the surprising flops of the evening was Jasper Johns's White Numbers, 1958 (est $7 million-$9 million), which was bought in after a high bid of $55 million.

Daytime sales of contemporary art at the pair houses were uneven, but produc more [i]or[/i] less strong results. Notable lots at Sotheby's included Arman's towering alloy of copper Counterpoint for Cellos (1984), which garnered $277500 far above its $70000 high estimate; and Jannis Kounellis's large untitled construction (1987) which brought $70700 (est $60000-$80000) Yayoi Kusama's Accumulation upon the Cabinet No. 1, 1962 (est $25000-$35000) brought $54625 and Gary Hill's video statuary Cut Pipe (1992) sold for $25300 (est $15000-$20000)

At Christie's daytime auction a large 1976 Sean Scully painting, Horizontal Cream, from the collection of Asher B Edelman, went for $46000 (est $25000-$35000) and Leon Golub's Horsing Around I (1982) sold for $36800 well above its $30000 high estimate. Kara Walker's collage Gatorbait (1996) brought $25300 more than double its $12000 high estimate; and a large photo by means of Thomas Ruff, Portrait (Anna Giese), 1990 went for $13800 (est $8000-$10000) Tony Oursler's video-projection plastic art Instant Suckling (1994) brought $26450 (est $12000-$18000)

19th-century 20th-century Impressionist and modern:

Sotheby's auction of Impressionist and present art on Monday evening, Nov. 16 was a surprisingly lackluster affair, in spite of the fact that the sale featured 37 top-notch works from the collection of Reader's Digest Association, Inc., that were novel to the market [see "Front Page," Nov. `98] The house managed to shake in $123.8 million, but the figure was well below the $140-million depressed estimate. Only 52 of the 78 fates offered found buyers. The evening's best venders (all from the Reader's Digest collection) included Modigliani's elegant Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne (1919) the top doom of the night, which soared past its $12-million high estimate, selling for $151 million, an auction record for the artist; Cezanne's lush View of L'Estaque end the Pines (1882-83), which brought $11 million, just below the high estimate of $12 million; and Giacometti's and zinc The Forest: Seven Figures and a Head (1950) which sold for $75 million, above the $6 million high estimate, establishing a fresh auction record for the artist. Another highlight of the sale was Renoir's vibrant pastel Portrait of Cezanne (1880) which brought $27 million ($25-$35 million).