Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Evening
So, another night, another auction, and some more big numbers over at Christie’s, at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale that took place at Wednesday, 11th of February. Several Cy Twombly‘s works were sold for some eye-popping amount of money, but so did Gerhard Richter‘s, or Francis Bacon’s. Let’s see who were the winners of Christie’s auction. (Also, did you check out auction analysis of Wednesday’s Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day?)

How About $158 Million a Night Sale?
A total of 57 lots were offered at the Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale, and all 57 were sold. Although the high and low estimated price for the top three sales of the night were not disclosed, the data for the 54 art works that are available show that 23 items out of 54 were sold over the high estimated price, which makes 42,6 percent. Seventeen items had their hammerprice in range of estimated values, which was good for 31,5 percents, while 14 of them had their hammerprice under the low estimated price – 25,9 percent. All in all, the price for the 57 sold lots was 158.450.713 US dollars.
The High-Rollers of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary auction
As we mentioned, the top three sold artworks was those of Cy Twombly, Gerhard Richter and Francis Bacon. Twombly’s Untitled (New York City) was sold for 26.952.548 dollars, and that was the biggest hammerprice of the night. Gerhard Richter’s Vierwaldstätter See (Lake Lucerne) was sold for 21.584.633, and number three for the night at Christie’s was Francis Bacon’s Study for a Head that changed owner for 13.762.814 dollars. Right behind them was another work of Gerhard Richter, Karmin (Carmine) that was sold for $13.149.338. When we talk about the biggest difference between the high estimated and hammerprice, the best at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary auction was Lucio Fontana and his Concetto spaziale a riflessi, which was high estimated at a bit over 107 thousand, and was sold for over 371 thousand, which was 245,8 percent more. Then, there was Paolo Scheggi’s Intersuperficie curva bianca – it outdid the high estimated price for over 180 percent, with high estimated price at almost 537 thousand dollars, and hammerprice at well over 1,5 million dollars. Did we mentioned that Lucio Fontana’s work did great? Another one of his art pieces outperformed at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary auction: his Concetto spaziale, Attesa was high estimated at 920.214 and was sold in deep seven figures – it’s hammerprice was 2,41 million, more than 162 percent difference between the two prices.

The Combined View of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary auction
Lucio Fontana was also the artist with most of his work auctioned – four – that were sold for more than 88 million dollars, while their total high estimated price was just above 56 millions. Then, there were three Gerhard Richter’s work that was sold for 36,5 millions, and three of Yves Klein‘s pieces went for just under 5,4 million dollars. Three Twombly’s work zwere sold for 33,7 millions, and a pair of Andy Warhol‘s were sold for over 6,3 millions.
Next page: Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary in Details
Featured image: Damien Hirst – Lullaby Winter (Courtesy of Christie’s)
Christie's Post-War and Contemporary in Details
Number of sold lots: | 54* | 57** |
---|---|---|
Number of sold lots over high estimate: | 23* | 26** |
Over high estimate (Sold) [%]: | 42.6* | 45.6** |
Number of sold lots in range of estimated values: | 17* | 17** |
In range of estimated values (Sold) [%]: | 31.5* | 29.8** |
Number of sold lots under low estimate: | 14* | 14** |
Under low estimate (Sold) [%]: | 25.9* | 24.6** |
Results were under estimate spread of [%]: | 31.2* | 21.5** |
Lot No. | Artist Name | Artwork Name | Low Estimate $ | High Estimate $ | Hammer Price $ | Hammer High Estimate Difference [%] | Hammer Low Estimate Difference [%] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | R.H. Quaytman | 4 Exhibition Guide, Chapter 15 (Diagonal Pink) | 92021 | 122695 | 141227 | 15.1 | 53.5 |
2 | Oscar Murillo | Untitled | 153369 | 230054 | 279259 | 21.4 | 82.1 |
3 | Theaster Gates | For Race Riots and Salon Gatherings | 383423 | 536792 | 309933 | -42.3 | -19.2 |
4 | Gunther Uecker | Inseln (Island) | 536792 | 690161 | 923406 | 33.8 | 72 |
5 | Yves Klein | Sculpture éponge rose (SE 207) | 920214 | 1226952 | 2566877 | 109.2 | 178.9 |
6 | Lucio Fontana | Concetto spaziale, Attese | 1533690 | 2300535 | 2796931 | 21.6 | 82.4 |
7 | YVES KLEIN | Relief planétaire bleu, (RP 17) | 1380321 | 1840428 | 2106770 | 14.5 | 52.6 |
8 | Gerhard Richter | Vierwaldstätter See (Lake Lucerne) | Not Disclosed | Not Disclosed | 21584633 | N/A | N/A |
9 | Lucio Fontana | Concetto spaziale, Attesa | 613476 | 920214 | 2413508 | 162.3 | 293.4 |
10 | Yves Klein | Peinture de feu couleur (FC 15) | 766845 | 1073583 | 693354 | -35.4 | -9.6 |
11 | Andy Warhol | Self-Portrait | 3834225 | 5367915 | 5020781 | -6.5 | 30.9 |
12 | Jean-Michel Basquiat | Untitled | 2914011 | 3834225 | 2413508 | -37.1 | -17.2 |
13 | Jean Dubuffet | L'heure de la hâte (The Hour of Anticipation) | 2760642 | 3834225 | 3333722 | -13.1 | 20.8 |
14 | Christopher Wool | Untitled | 3067380 | 4601070 | 2566877 | -44.2 | -16.3 |
16 | Thomas Schütte | Vater Staat (Modell) (Father State) | 460107 | 766845 | 1000090 | 30.4 | 117.4 |
17 | Francis Bacon | Study for a Head | Not Disclosed | Not Disclosed | 13762814 | N/A | N/A |
18 | David Hockney | Steps with Shadow | 613476 | 920214 | 1046101 | 13.7 | 70.5 |
19 | Anish Kapoor | Untitled | 766845 | 1073583 | 1646663 | 53.4 | 114.7 |
20 | Howard Hodgkin | In the Green Room | 843530 | 1150268 | 1646663 | 43.2 | 95.2 |
21 | Damien Hirst | Lullaby Winter | 3834225 | 6134760 | 4177252 | -31.9 | 8.9 |
22 | Chris Ofili | Cupid's Wings | 230054 | 306738 | 187237 | -39 | -18.6 |
23 | Glenn Brown | Kill Yourself | 536792 | 690161 | 1000090 | 44.9 | 86.3 |
24 | Tracey Emin | Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made | 920214 | 1226952 | 923406 | -24.7 | 0.3 |
25 | Michelangelo Pistoletto | Donna nuda che avvita una lampadina (Nude woman affixing a light bulb) | 1226952 | 1840428 | 2106770 | 14.5 | 71.7 |
26 | Cy Twombly | Untitled (New York City) | Not Disclosed | Not Disclosed | 26952548 | N/A | N/A |
27 | Alexander Calder | Petit mobile sur pied | 920214 | 1226952 | 923406 | -24.7 | 0.3 |
28 | Nicolas de Staël | Paysage de Provence | 766845 | 1073583 | 662680 | -38.3 | -13.6 |
29 | Cy Twombly | Untitled | 766845 | 1073583 | 770037 | -28.3 | 0.4 |
30 | Yayoi Kusama | Infinity Nets (KWOPH) | 383423 | 536792 | 616669 | 14.9 | 60.8 |
31 | Gerhard Richter | Karmin (Carmine) | 13803210 | 21471660 | 13149338 | -38.8 | -4.7 |
32 | Anish Kapoor | Mother as a Ship | 460107 | 766845 | 923406 | 20.4 | 100.7 |
33 | Alighiero Boetti | Mappa del mondo - L'insensata corsa della vita (Map of the World - The nonsensical ... | 1226952 | 1840428 | 1383511 | -24.8 | 12.8 |
34 | Paolo Scheggi | Intersuperficie curva bianca | 383423 | 536792 | 1506205 | 180.6 | 292.8 |
35 | Cy Twombly | Death of Pompey (Rome) | 6134760 | 9202140 | 5940995 | -35.4 | -3.2 |
36 | CECILY BROWN | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | 736171 | 996899 | 739363 | -25.8 | 0.4 |
37 | Richard Prince | Emergency Nurse | 2147166 | 2760642 | 2106770 | -23.7 | -1.9 |
38 | Miquel Barceló | Fruits de novembre (Fruits of November) | 276064 | 383423 | 340605 | -11.2 | 23.4 |
42 | Lucio Fontana | Concetto spaziale a riflessi | 76685 | 107358 | 371279 | 245.8 | 384.2 |
43 | Lucio Fontana | Concetto spaziale, Attese (il sole) | 1533690 | 2300535 | 3257038 | 41.6 | 112.4 |
44 | JEAN DUBUFFET | Bédouin sur l’âne (Bedouin on a donkey) | 1993797 | 2760642 | 3640460 | 31.9 | 82.6 |
45 | Jean-Michel Basquiat | Three Delegates | 7668450 | 10735830 | 6017680 | -43.9 | -21.5 |
46 | Albert Oehlen | Abstract Painting IV | 460107 | 613476 | 800710 | 30.5 | 74 |
47 | Gerhard Richter | Abstraktes Bild | 1533690 | 2300535 | 1800032 | -21.8 | 17.4 |
48 | Georg Baselitz | Malermund (Painter's Mouth) | 1533690 | 2300535 | 1306827 | -43.2 | -14.8 |
49 | Georg Baselitz | Die Kuh (The Cow) | 766845 | 1073583 | 585995 | -45.4 | -23.6 |
50 | Neo Rauch | Reaktionäre Situation (Reactionary Situation) | 920214 | 1226952 | 1199468 | -2.2 | 30.3 |
52 | Sigmar Polke | Untitled (Triptych) | 996899 | 1150268 | 1199468 | 4.3 | 20.3 |
53 | Kazuo Shiraga | Yugi | 613476 | 920214 | 1046101 | 13.7 | 70.5 |
54 | Elizabeth Peyton | Prince William at the Queen Mother’s Birthday | 276064 | 383423 | 355942 | -7.2 | 28.9 |
55 | Andy Warhol | John Lennon (Green) | 1226952 | 1840428 | 1306827 | -29 | 6.5 |
56 | Richard Prince | Oedipus Complex | 1533690 | 2300535 | 1460196 | -36.5 | -4.8 |
57 | Alighiero Boetti | Uno Nove Otto Zero (One Nine Eight Zero) | 460107 | 766845 | 616669 | -19.6 | 34 |
59 | Rebecca Warren | OO | 122695 | 184043 | 371279 | 101.7 | 202.6 |
60 | Chris Ofili | Afro Red Web | 766845 | 1073583 | 892732 | -16.8 | 16.4 |
62 | Georg Baselitz | Elke, 1965 | 536792 | 690161 | 463300 | -32.9 | -13.7 |
63 | ANDREAS GURSKY | Hong Kong Börse II (Hong Kong Stock Exchange II) | 383423 | 536792 | 386616 | -28 | 0.8 |
64 | Sean Scully | Wall of Light Reef | 460107 | 766845 | 708689 | -7.6 | 54 |
TOTAL (Sold lots exculding undisclosed estimates): | 80258002 | 116591120 | 96150718 | -17.5 | 19.8 | ||
TOTAL (Sold lots including calculated estimates for excluded lots): | 149059416 | 189978266 | 158450713 | -16.6 | 6.3 |
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Featured image: Jean-Michel Basquiat – Untitled (detail) (Courtesy of Christie’s) [mc4wp_form]