Christie’s New York 20/21 Marquee Week Exceeds $1.1 Billion in Art Sales

NEW YORK – Christie’s closed out a successful marquee week of 20/21 sales today at Rockefeller Center. The week comprised of six live and one online auction, generating a total of $1,109,415,750, drawing registered bidders from across the Americas, APAC and EMEA. The week marked the return of live bidding to Christie’s newly redesigned salesroom, presenting an immersive global auction experience. Christie’s livestreamed the sales across nine platforms, attracting 1,200,000 viewers.
21st Century Evening Sale
The week opened with the 21st Century Evening Sale on Tuesday, November 9. The sale was 100% sold, achieving $219,278,750, selling 114% hammer against low estimate and establishing 10 new records. The top lot, The Guilt of Gold Teeth, a monumental 1982 canvas by Jean-Michel Basquiat, sold for $40,000,000. HUMAN ONE, the first hybrid physical and digital artwork by NFT sensation Beeple, sold for $28,985,000, and Peter Doig’s Swamped achieved $39,862,500, setting a new record.
The Cox Collection
The evening of Thursday, November 11, The Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism was 100% sold, totaling $332,031,500, 160% hammer against low estimate, 91% of lots selling above their high estimates. Vincent van Gogh’s Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès, headlined the sale and achieved $71,350,000. The auction concluded with the sale of Gustave Caillebotte’s Jeune homme à sa fenêtre, which sold for $53,030,000—a new record for the artist—to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
20th Century Evening Sale
Immediately following the Cox Collection, the 20th Century Evening Sale realized $419,866,500; 92% by lot, 96% by value, 113% sold against low estimate. Leading the sale was Andy Warhol’s Jean-Michel Basquiat, from the Collection of Peter Brant which achieved $40,091,500.
Read our in-depth report on the 20/21 Evening Sales here.
Bonnie Brennan, President of Christie’s Americas, remarked: “After a year of so much change and innovation, the energy in the salesroom was absolutely electric. This is the second season for the new 20/21 format, and its success shows that it sparked great interest and passion amongst our clients. The 20/21 format is an extraordinary example of how Christie’s is embracing digital art, NFTs, and increasing representation of women and BIPOC artists, while raising more than $13 million for charitable causes.”
Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale
Friday’s Post-War and Contemporary Art auction continued the week of stellar results, establishing 15 new artist records and totaling $94,180,125, selling 93% by lot and 96% by value, 155% sold hammer by low estimate. Mark Rothko’s Untitled from the Collection of June Roth headlined the sale and sold for $8,489,500 – the highest price ever achieved by Rothko during a Day Sale.
Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sales
Live sales concluded on Saturday, November 13; the Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale achieved $29,290,000, selling 93% by lot and 96% by value, 135% by low estimate. Leading the sale, Joan Miró’s Le serpent glisse vers l’azur parsemé de flèches sold for $2,790,000. The Day Sale followed the morning’s Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper Sale, which totaled $13,019,875, selling 95% by value, 91% by lot, 120% by low estimate. Marc Chagall’s Autoportrait sold for $1,050,000 and was the sale’s top lot.
Picasso Ceramics Online
The online auction of Picasso Ceramics was 100% sold and realized a total of $1,749,000. Leading the sale was Taureau, selling for $212,500.
Notable Private Collection Sales
The Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism | Week Total: $332,212,750
Including top lot of the Week: Vincent van Gogh’s Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès, sold for $71.3 million
IMAGE WORLD: Property from an American Collection | Week Total: $ 43,768,250
Highlighted by two works by Christopher Wool in the 21st Century Evening Sale; each sold for $7.8 million
The Stella Collection | Week Total: $32,127,500
Highlighted by Pablo Picasso’s Femme accroupie en costume turc II (Jacqueline), sold for $25.6 million
Collection of Elene Canrobert Isles de Saint Phalle | Week Total: $$21,060,000
Highlighted by Edgar Degas’s La Coiffure (La Toilette), sold for $7 million
Always in Style: The Collection of Herbert Kasper | Running Total: $$15,656,625
Highlighted by Fernand Léger’s La femme à la toilette, sold for $4.7 million
Records
21st Century Evening:
Peter Doig, Swamped, Sold for $39,862,500
Xinyi Cheng, Darling, Sold for $300,000
Hilary Pecis, UpstairsInterior, Sold for $870,000
Nicolas Party, Landscape, Sold for $3,270,000
Issy Wood, Over Armour, Sold for $468,750
Stanley Whitney, Untitled, Sold for $1,230,000
Jacqueline Humphries, Untitled, Sold for $687,500
Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Your Manias Become Science),Sold for $1,170,000
Rashid Johnson, Bruise Painting “Or Down You Fall”,Sold for $2,550,000
Kenny Scharf, TravelTime, Sold for $870,000
Cox Collection:
Hugh Henry Breckenridge, The Open Garden, Sold for $250,000
Gustave Loiseau L’hôtel de Mademoiselle Ernestine, Saint-Jouin (Finistère) ou Le verger de Mademoiselle Ernestine, Saint-Jouin,Sold for $774,000
Gustave Caillebotte, Jeune homme à sa fenêtre, Sold for $53,030,000
Vincent Van Gogh, Meules de blé, Sold for $35,855,000 | WORK ON PAPER
20th Century Evening:
Lee Bontecou, Untitled, Sold for $9,176,500
Post-War & Contemporary Day:
Danielle Orchard, Two Bathers, Sold for 287,500
Deborah Roberts, I Do Solemnly Swear (Nessun Dorma series), Sold for $275,000
Noah Davis, Temptations: Original, Sold for $475,000
Trevor Paglen, Discarded Rocket Body Approaching the Disk of the Moon (SL-8 R/B), Sold for $43,750
Ernie Barnes, Ballroom Soul, Sold for $550,000
Amy Sillman, Your Affection, Sold for $870,000
Oluwole Omofemi, Metamorphosis III, Sold for $118,750
Marley Freeman, Muscular, Sold for $52,500
Jennifer Guidi, Elements of All Entities (Universe Mandala SF #6G, Green, Black Sand), Sold for $625,000
Tseng Kwong Chi, Jean-Michel Basquiat, New York, 1987, Sold for $125,000
Rashid Johnson, Untitled Anxious Bruise Drawing, Sold for $437,500 | WORK ON PAPER
Salman Toor, Blonde and Brunette, Sold for $200,000 | WORK ON PAPER
Lee Krasner, Earth No. 6, Sold for $966,000 | WORK ON PAPER
Christina Quarles, Up ‘N Out, Sold for $262,500 | WORK ON PAPER
Eddie Martinez, Untitled, Sold for 118,750 | WORK ON PAPER
Impressionist & Modern Day:
Suzanne Valadon, Nu à la draperie, $475,000