Mark Rothko’s Untitled (Yellow and Blue) led Sotheby’s Hong Kong Modern and Contemporary evening sale, selling for $32.5 million in Hong Kong dollars equivalents (HKD 252.5 million) on an estimated HKD 225–275 million. The auction overall brought in HKD 409.5 million ($52.6 million) from 27 lots, with 5 unsold, for an 81.5 percent sell-through; other top lots included Yayoi Kusama’s Hat sold for HKD 43.8 million and George Condo’s Red, White and Black sold for HKD 20.4 million.
The article discusses restitution debates in art, citing Benin bronzes and Parthenon marbles, and references a new documentary, The Spoils, about the restitution of Max Stern’s assets. It quotes director Jamie Kastner and outlines Stern’s Nazi-era losses to illustrate ongoing political and legal complexities in restitution efforts.
Claude Monet, Nymphéas (1914–17) led Sotheby’s fall evening auctions with a $65.5 million sale. The Sydell Miller Collection and the modern evening auction combined to total $309 million. Monet’s piece was followed by Pablo Picasso’s La Statuaire (1925) at $24.8 million, Alberto Giacometti’s Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego) (1954) at $13.3 million, and Leonora Carrington’s La Grande Dame (1951) at $11.4 million.
The Christie’s press release reports that MICA: THE COLLECTION OF MICA ERTEGUN Part I and the 20th Century Evening Sale realized a combined total of $486 million. Rene Magritte’s L’empire des lumières sold for $121.2 million, establishing a new record for the artist and Surrealism. The collection of Mica Ertegun brought in $184 million and the 20th Century Evening Sale $302 million.
Ren e9 Magritte's L'empire des Lumi e8res (1954) sold for $121.2 million at Christie's in New York, setting a new auction record for the Belgian Surrealist painter. The sale occurred during an auction from the estate of Mica Ertegun, and the final price included Christie’s fees. Two telephone bidders, Alex Rotter and Xin Li-Cohen, participated, with Rotter securing the top bid of $105 million before the buyer's premium pushed the total to $121.2 million.
René Magritte's L’empire des Lumières (1954) sold for $121.2 million, setting a new record for both the Belgian artist and Surrealist painting at auction, while Ed Ruscha’s Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half (1964) sold for $68.3 million, establishing a new record for Ruscha. Christie’s in New York hosted the sale, which totalled $486 million for the evening of 20th-century art.
René Magritte's 1954 painting L’empire des lumières sold for $121.2 million at Christie’s New York, surpassing its $95 million estimate and marking the first Magritte work to exceed nine figures. The sale involved two telephone bids, with a final total including buyer’s premium of $121.2 million.
Maurizio Cattelan’s banana artwork Comedian sold at Sotheby’s in New York for $6.24 million. The piece is one of three editions; Justin Sun purchased the work and will receive accompanying materials.
Christie’s Marquee Week totals $689 million across eight 20th and 21st century art sales, with Rene Magritte’s L’empire des lumieres selling for $121.2 million as a new record for Surrealist works. The week saw 87% sold by lot and 92% by value, with broad global bidding and more than two million viewers streaming the sales.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled, 1982 led Christie’s 21st century sale with a $23 million drawing, contributing to a total of $106.5 million. The sale set a record for a Basquiat work on paper and featured 42 lots with strong in-person, phone, and online bidding.
Christie’s New York 20th and 21st Century Art marquee week achieved $689 million in total sales, with Magritte’s L’empire des lumières selling for $121.2 million, the highest price for a Surrealist work at auction in 2024. The sale featured multiple artist records including Ed Ruscha, Roni Horn, Sarah Sze, Ana Mendieta, Susan Rothenberg, Firelei Báez, Hilary Pecis, Sasha Gordon, Amédée Ozenfant, Denzil Forrester, Christian Schad, William Eggleston, Jean-MichelBasquiat, Louise Bourgeois and Roy Lichtenstein, among others, and established strong overall sell-through across eight 20th/21st Century Art sales. The event was part of Christie’s fall Marquee Week in New York, running 19-22 November, with participation across saleroom, telephone, and Christie’s LIVE.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled led the evening sale with $23 million, a record for a work on paper by the artist. The sale realized $106.5 million, with 100% sold by lot and by value, as part of Christie’s Fall Marquee Week in New York.
Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol led strong November auction results for prints and multiples, with Lichtenstein setting new records for works from his Nudes edition and Warhol achieving a record price for the complete Endangered Species set in 2024. Christie’s and Sotheby’s sales featured notable results, while Keith Haring topped Artcurial’s Limited Edition sale in Paris.
Christie’s examines PHILLIPS’ MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART FALL AUCTIONS IN HONG KONG REALISES HK$222 MILLION/ US$29 MILLION and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Christie’s examines PHILLIPS’ MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE IN HONG KONG REALISES HK$171 MILLION/ US$22 MILLION and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Christie’s examines PHILLIPS’ LONDON PHOTOGRAPHS AUCTIONS REALISE £2.3 MILLION and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.
Magritte’s L’empire des lumières became the most valuable work of Surrealist art ever sold at auction. 18 artists set records across MICA: THE COLLECTION OF MICA ERTEGUN and the 20th and 21st Century Evening Sales
In the wake of Frank Auerbach’s death in London on 11 November 2024, aged 93, we revisit the story of the friendship between two School of London artists who influenced — and painted — one another for more than 70 years
Valland, a museum employee and a member of the French Resistance, recorded the systematic theft of artworks by the Nazis, taking note of their German inventory numbers. Her information led the Monuments Men to Neuschwanstein Castle, former home of a king of Bavaria, where the looted property had been hoarded
Christie’s examines JACKSON POLLOCK MASTERWORK FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF FLORENCE KNOLL TO LEAD PHILLIPS’ NEW YORK EVENING SALE OF MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART and its significance for artists, collectors, institutions, or the art market.