Andy Warhol’s Marlon made $23,714,500.
THE market for post war and contemporary art got even hotter in New York last night. There was more than 412 million reasons to celebrate at Christie’s where the auction of 74 lots brought in a whopping $412,253,100. This became the most valuable auction ever in the Post War and Contemporary Art category.
Andy Warhol, whose 3-D Statue of Liberty made $43,762,500, shone throughout the sale. Results confirm that he remains the dominant star of the contemporary art market.
Jeff Koons Tulips made $33,682,500, a new world auction record. It places him among the world’s top selling living artists. There were seven other artists records: Franz Kline (Untitled, 1957 made $40,402,500); Jean-Michel Basquiat (Untitled, 1981 made $26,402,500); Richard Diebenkorn (Ocean Park # 48, 1971 made $13,522,500); Donald Judd (Untitled, 1989 (Bernstein 89-24), 1989 made $10,162,500); Mark Grotjahn – Untitled (Red Butterfly II Yellow…) made $4,170,500); Richard Serra (Schulhof’s Curve, 1984 made $2,882,500) and George Condo (The Manhattan Strip Club, 2010 made $1,314,5000).
The sale was 93% sold by value and 92% sold by lot, 11 works sold for over $10 million, 16 for over $5 million and 56 for over $1 million. “Over the past six years, Christie’s has led this market first over the $200 million, then over the $300 million, and now over the $400 million barrier,” said Brett Gorvy, Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art.