The auction week in New York continues on November 19 in the afternoon at Phillips and in the evening at Christie’s, with two different catalogs with lower expectations compared to the collections spread over the previous two nights.
Thanks to numerous third-party guarantees, which may have helped a lot in avoiding unsold items, the overall results were satisfactory despite a significant decrease in the number of buyers and offers, with a few exceptions.
Phillips Catalog
Phillips offers 33 lots with three themes: 20th century art, current contemporary art, and the newest: dinosaurs and fossils. The result of this unusual combination was a total income of 67.3 million dollars for the 31 lots sold, also thanks to two realizations above the 10 million threshold: a decrease of Francis Bacon in 1967 who played the protagonist Isabel Rawsthorne And George Dyeroften served as a model for his work, which reached $16 million with commissions, in a guaranteed estimate of 13-18 million, and large compositions in bright colors by Joan Mitchell in 1957-58 which is close to the high estimate of 14.3 million dollars. Mitchell’s work is not guaranteed, unlike 16 other lots, half of the catalogue, including almost all the other millionaire lots, six of which may end up going to their respective underwriters in the absence of further raises.
Two works Basquiat guaranteed to bring a total of $5 million, including $3.8 million for 1984’s “Practice” (estimate $3-5 million), and $1.2 million for a 1982 card that reached its highest estimate with commission. Maybe the guarantor will get a drop Pollock in 1947 for 3.5 million with commission, while an earlier lot, a fossil skeleton of a young Triceratops from 66 million years ago in exceptional conservation condition triggered a collection of up to 5.4 million dollars.
The only recent work among the top ten creations, a blue-toned composition by Mark Tansey in 2012, sparking one of the few bidding competitions, exceeding the non-guaranteed estimate of $4.6 million.
However, the canvas remains the bet Jadè Fadojutimi in 2022 it is estimated to reach 800 thousand-1.2 million dollars, while men aged 45 years Firelei Baez set his first record of the night with a 2014 work that surpassed its $645,000 guarantee estimate on commission, beaten hours later at auction at Christie’s.
A record for women at Christie’s
The catalog of 45 lots sold at Christie’s during the evening generated proceeds of $123.6 million, with only one unsold lot and several auctions
relaunch. The sequence of the first 19 lots (16 of them guaranteed by third parties and three by the auction house) shows the spread of the patron pair collection. Stefan Edlis (just died) e Gael Neesona series of conceptual, Pop Art and design works reflecting their eclectic approach, with a total realization of $49.2 million, among them one of three works by Warhol offered and all sold above high estimates: 1986’s ‘Last Supper’ in tribute to Cenacolo in Leonardowhich beat the high estimate of $8.1 million including fees.
Strong interest and prolonged re-release also for one of the first ‘Film Stills’ Cindy Sherman from 1978, a black and white photograph featuring him, which tripled its high estimate to 2.3 million dollars, as well as for three design works by Diego Giacomettiwhose 1974 Fox coffee table has long been up for grabs for up to $4.5 million with commission, three times the low estimate.
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The only batch to surpass the 10 million mark was ‘RIOT’ by Christopher Wolclassic enamel-on-aluminum lettering from 1990, which reached $19.8 million with commission, slightly below its high estimate. Followed by a dark portrait Kerry James Marshall in 2007, which exceeded its high estimate of 7.1 million dollars on commission, also thanks to an ongoing retrospective at the Royal Academy in London, and although one of his works remained unsold at auction yesterday.
