A Historic Evening: Christie’s Holds Most Valuable Post-War and Contemporary Art Auction Ever
Last night’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York totaled $388.5 million (£240.9 million/€299.1 million), the highest total ever in auction history for the category. Bidders from around the world convened in the saleroom to compete for the sale’s exceptional roster of works by the leading artists of the category. Several bidders vied for the top lot of the sale, Mark Rothko’s magisterial Orange, Red, Yellow, 1961, which soared over its pre-sale estimate of $35-45 million to achieve a stunning $86,882,500 (£53,867,150/€66,899,525), setting a new world auction record for any Post-War and Contemporary Art sold at auction. It was the star lot among the 13 stellar works from the phenomenal Pincus Collection, which achieved a combined total of $174,944,500 and became the most expensive collection of Post-War and Contemporary Art ever offered at auction. The sale was 99% sold by value and 95% sold by lot.
Throughout the evening, 14 new world auction records were achieved as new and seasoned collectors competed for top-quality works by the icons of the period. Additional world record highlights include Yves Klein’s legendary FC1 (Fire-Color 1), 1962, which realized $36,482,500 (£22,619,150/€28,091,525), Jackson Pollock’s Number 28, 1951, which achieved $23,042,500 (£14,286,350/€17,742,725), and Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (798-3), 1993, which surpassed its $14-18 million estimate to achieve $21,810,500 (£13,522,510/€16,794,085). A highly important group of five works by Alexander Calder was led by Lily of Force, 1945, which fetched $18,562,500 (£11,508,750/€14,293,125).
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