Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale Achieves $97 Million
NEW YORK – Christie’s continued its Spring 2022 Marquee Week with the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale featuring The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann on Friday, May 13 at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. The sale totaled $97 million, bringing the week’s running total to $1.36 billion. The sale consisted of an incredible selection of works spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, and raised a total of $11.3 million for philanthropic initiatives, including an additional $7.3 million for The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation, bringing the week’s cumulative total raised for the Foundation to $325.1 million.
The sale was 96% sold by value and 93% sold by lot, selling 151% hammer above low estimate with 17 works selling above $1 million. Bidders and buyers were drawn globally, coming from 41 different countries. The sale was led by two outstanding works by icons painted in the 1960s—Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn) (estimate: $1,500,000-2,500,000), and Wayne Thiebaud’s Three Ice Cream Cones (estimate: $2,500,000-3,500,000), from the Family of Nina Van Rensselaer. Both works achieved $4,980,000.
Strong performances came from a range of diverse artists, from established icons of the post-war era to contemporary market stars. Highlights included Helen Frankenthaler’s Crete which sold for $1,620,000 and Frank Stella’s Hagmatana I from the Estate of Sondra Gilman which achieved $2,220,000, over triple its low estimate. Weeping Blur by Shara Hughes doubled its high estimate of $600,000 to sell for $1,134,000 and Ernie Barnes’ Storm Dance sold for $2,340,000, 15 times its high estimate of $150,000.
Christie’s was pleased to partner with a number of charitable organizations to benefit from this sale:
Artists for Ukraine: Property to Benefit Doctors Without Borders
Art for Vaccines: Property Sold to Benefit CARE’s Global COVID-19 Response
From the Studio to Benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Helping Children Heal: Artwork Donated To Benefit Rxart
Property to Benefit CORE: Community Organized Relief Effort
Property to Benefit the Bronx Museum of the Arts, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary
Farnsworth Art Museum with Proceeds Dedicated to the Acquisitions Fund
ARTIST RECORDS:
Rosalyn Drexler
Janet Cooling
Michael Mogavero
Milo Reice
Alessandro Twombly
Rainer Fetting
Tim Rollins & K.O.S.
Tim of Finland
Lois Lane
Deborah Kass
Klaudia Schifferle
Lynne Drexler
Godwin Champs Namuyimba
Louis Fratino
En Iwamura
Jenny Holzer
Todd Bienvenu
