Amsterdam – Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening and Day Sales concluded on the 27 November in Amsterdam, totalling €8,078,500 / $9,162,813 / £7,180,888, with strong sell-through rates of 82% by lot and 88% by value. Registered bidders from 36 countries demonstrate the continued global appeal in Amsterdam’s sales held at De Westergasfabriek, with enthusiastic bidding from the U.S. and Europe, particularly from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. New Christie’s clients accounted for 19% of the online registrants for the sales. The season was led by German Post-War art, with strong prices achieved for works by Georg Baselitz, whose monumental canvas Sujet populaire contraire (2007) was the top lot of the sale, selling for €391,500 against an estimate of €150,000-200,000, as well as works by Günther Förg (Untitled, €259,500), Imi Knoebel, (moment 5, €68,750) and A.R. Penck (Norden 3, €60,000).

The evening sale’s focus section “Cobra 70 Years: Creation before theory”, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the European avant-garde group, which presented works by artists such as Karel Appel, Corneille and Pierre Alechinksy, was 99% sold by lot and led by Asger Jorn’s Myr og Mo (1950-1952), which sold for €391,500. Further highlights of the sales included an early work by François Morellet Double Trames - 4° + 4° - 8° + 8° (1959), which quadrupled its estimate, realising €187,500. Great results were achieved for American works on paper, including Robert Motherwell’s In Black + White (1960), which had been part of a private collection since 1976 and sold for €162,500 against an estimate of €90,000-120,000, as well as works by German ZERO artists and the Dutch Nul Group, such as Jan Schoonhoven’s relief R71-11 (1974), which achieved €193,500 against an estimate of €80,000-120,000.

Arno Verkade, Managing Director, Christie’s, The Netherlands and Germany: “Strong results were achieved at Christie’s in Amsterdam for the Post-War and Contemporary Art season, concluding the second year of auctions we have staged at De Westergasfabriek. The historical venue provides an amazing backdrop against which we can showcase international contemporary art. We saw over 1000 visitors over the viewing days, which coincided with Amsterdam Art Weekend and witnessed a substantial global appetite for Northern European and American art, with a strong focus on German art. We saw international bidding, especially from the U.S. and Europe. The sale totalled €8,078,500 / $9,162,813 / £7,180,888 against a pre-sale estimate of €6,254,000.”