David Hockney, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (1972), Final Price: $90,312,500, via Christie’s
After a marathon of sales this evening, running through a heavy first snowfall of the year in New York, the Contemporary and Post-War Evening Sales are a wrap, closing out the year on a high note. Over the course of two consecutive evenings, the auction houses orchestrated a smooth-running series of sales that saw a number of major records fall, and a number of strong results.
Jean Michel-Basquiat, Untitled (Pollo Frito) (1982) Final Price: $25,701,500, via Sotheby’s
Sales began Wednesday night at Sotheby’s where an impressively run pair of sales totaling 65 lots only saw two works go unsold, taking the auction house on a run to over $375.9 million. Kicking out of the gate with a strong offering of works from the collection of David Teiger, which included a striking Peter Doig that sold for a final price of $9,105,200, as well as a flowing, effortless Willem de Kooning that finished at a final of $9,331,000. The main sale kicked off strong with a Henry Taylor resetting the artist’s auction record at $975,000, followed close behind by one of the evening’s trophies, a Gerhard Richter that sold on multiple bids to a final of $33,604,500.
Peter Doig, House of Pictures (2000), Final Price: $9,105,200
Georgia O’Keefe performed quite well, as one work brought a final of $6,169,800, while a second work met estimate to a final of $13,282,500. Jacob Lawrence was also a surprise from the evening’s sale, his work The Businessmen smashing past estimate to set his auction record at $6,169,800. Another highlight came from Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose Pollo Frito sold for a final of $25,701,500. All and all, it was a smoothly run sale, with little turbulence pushing the sale’s final tally to its conclusion.
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (1987), Final Price $33,604,500 via Sothebys’s
This evening, proceedings began at Phillips, where a well-appointed sale saw somewhat unsteady results with a few major hiccups on the way. The sale achieved a final tally of $90,787,000, with 5 of 41 lots going unsold.
Joan Miro, Femme dans la nuit (1945), Final Price: $22,590,000, via Phillips
It opened with an early highlight, a Joan Miró that met estimate to achieve a strong $22,590,000 final price, while another major lot, an Alberto Burri piece, went unsold. Even so, the pace continued to be steady, winding through a series of works with little other turbulence. A Jean-Michel Basquiat performed well, achieving a final at estimate of $8,977,500, while a Mark Rothko just topped estimate to a $4,215,000 final.  Yet the sale saw a second letdown when a star lot, an impressive Jackson Pollock, failed to find a buyer and went unsold. The sale wound down from there, reaching its conclusion with few other major sales, or major letdowns, save a new auction record for Cuban artist Carmen Herrera at $2,655,000.
Andy Warhol, Gun (1982), Final Price $8,977,500, via Phillips
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (1982), Final Price $8,977,500, via Phillips
Francis Bacon, Study of Henrietta Moraes Laughing (1969), Final Price: $21,687,500, via Christie’s
Attention then turned to Christie’s, where a 50 lot offering drew the week’s proceedings to a close in style, seeing 6 of 50 lots go unsold while racing to a final price of $357,622,500, driven by the record sale of David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Discography Two (1983) Final Price: $21,687,500, via Christie’s
The sale opened with a bit of instability, as Philip Guston’s Window beat estimate six times over to a final of $3,132,500, while a Bruce Nauman neon was a pass in the next lot. A Calder followed close behind, however, and doubled estimate to a final of $17,975,000, a strong price for the artist. A Francis Bacon also performed well, reaching estimate and selling for $21,687,500. Shortly after, the David Hockney shot out of the gate to $70 million, ultimately selling after sustained bidding for a final price of $90,312,500, a price that netted him records for his own work, and a record for the most expensive piece of work by a living artist.
Mark Rothko, Untitled (Rust, Blacks on Plum) (1962), Final Price $36,312,500, via Christie’s
The sale continued on after this historical moment, as another record for Sam Gilliam was set at $2,172,500, and a Mark Rothko achieved a strong price of $36,312,500. Another Calder made for a strong outing this evening for the artist, selling above estimate for a final of $9,312,500, while a Pierre Soulages reset the artist’s auction record at $11,000,000.
The sales have concluded for the year, with dealers and auctioneers looking to 2019 for the next big test of market health.
Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park #137 (1985) Final Price $22,587,500, via Christie’s
— D. Creahan
Read more:
Sotheby’s Sale from the Collection of David Teiger [Sotheby’s]
Sotheby’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale [Sotheby’s]
Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale [Christie’s]
Phillips Auctions 20th Century and Post-War Sale [Phillips]
