Art auction market report: November 2005
In November 2005, ArtSell recorded 1,458 auction lots from 8 auction houses, of which 1,264 sold (87% sell-through). The 1,264 sales with a published price total $10,691,420, with a median of $1,989 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Edvard Munch, “Madonna”, at $741,800 (Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Top sales
Top American artists
Ranked by total of priced sales in the month; region from the artist’s recorded nationality.
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roland Petersen American | $116,250 | 1 | (American, b. 1926) — $116,250 |
| 2 | Harry Bertoia American | $92,825 | 4 | (American, 1915-1978) — $41,125 |
| 3 | Gordon Onslow Ford American | $47,588 | 3 | (British, 1912-2003) — $19,975 |
| 4 | John Saccaro American | $38,188 | 1 | (American, 1913-1989) — $38,188 |
| 5 | Gordon Matta-Clark American | $35,250 | 1 | Doors, Through and Through (also called Doors, Floors, Doors) — $35,250 |
| 6 | Ed Ruscha American | $35,250 | 1 | (American, b. 1937) — $35,250 |
| 7 | Ross Bleckner American | $29,375 | 1 | (American, b. 1949) — $29,375 |
| 8 | George Condo American | $29,375 | 1 | (American, b. 1989) — $29,375 |
| 9 | Frank Egginton British | $22,996 | 5 | NEAR LEENANE, CONNEMARA — $6,604 |
| 10 | Squeak Carnwath American | $22,325 | 1 | (American, b. 1947) — $22,325 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edvard Munch Norwegian | $1,282,127 | 19 | Madonna — $741,800 |
| 2 | Adolph Tidemand Norwegian | $400,572 | 1 | Fiskeren og hans datter — $400,572 |
| 3 | Seán Keating Irish | $317,232 | 3 | MENDING A CURRACH ON A WEST OF IRELAND BEACH — $194,585 |
| 4 | Jack Butler Yeats Irish | $305,675 | 4 | THE COMFORTER — $283,032 |
| 5 | Gerard Dillon Irish | $257,677 | 7 | COTTAGE INTERIOR — $106,137 |
| 6 | Christian Krohg Norwegian | $178,032 | 4 | Los fra Grepan Verdens ende Tjøme — $74,180 |
| 7 | Hans Gude Norwegian | $178,032 | 2 | Fra Kristianiafjorden — $148,360 |
| 8 | Frank McKelvey Irish | $140,337 | 2 | THE GOOD COMPANIONS — $120,289 |
| 9 | Louis le Brocquy Irish | $135,620 | 4 | JAMES JOYCE STUDY — $54,248 |
| 10 | Harry Kernoff British | $126,185 | 2 | BATHERS, NAYLOR'S COVE, BRAY — $96,703 |
New artist records
The artist’s best price this month exceeded every earlier priced result for them in the ArtSell database (artists with at least three earlier priced results).
| Artist | Work | Price | Previous high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edvard Munch | Madonna Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $741,800 | $75,438 (131 earlier) |
| Jack Butler Yeats | THE COMFORTER Whyte's | $283,032 | $266,111 (38 earlier) |
| Seán Keating | MENDING A CURRACH ON A WEST OF IRELAND BEACH Whyte's | $194,585 | $74,884 (32 earlier) |
| Sir John Lavery | SPRING IN A RIVIERA GARDEN Whyte's | $141,516 | $73,656 (11 earlier) |
| Frank McKelvey | THE GOOD COMPANIONS Whyte's | $120,289 | $108,029 (37 earlier) |
| Hans Heyerdahl | Fra Åsgårdstrand Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $103,852 | $68,580 (3 earlier) |
| Harry Kernoff | BATHERS, NAYLOR'S COVE, BRAY Whyte's | $96,703 | $77,886 (50 earlier) |
| Antoni Clavé | (Spanish, 1913-2005) Bonhams | $96,125 | $15,827 (10 earlier) |
| Henrik Sørensen | Badende gutter Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $71,213 | $13,303 (19 earlier) |
| Colin Middleton | MAGNETIC LANDSCAPE Whyte's | $68,399 | $42,525 (30 earlier) |
| Jean Paul Riopelle | (Canadian, 1923-2002) Bonhams | $67,375 | $13,917 (8 earlier) |
| Henrik Lund | Portrett av Christian Krohg Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $51,926 | $36,680 (10 earlier) |
| William Orpen | AND CORN SHALL GROW IN THE DESERT Whyte's | $49,531 | $9,510 (17 earlier) |
| Frants Diderik Bøe | Stilleben Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $45,992 | $5,475 (4 earlier) |
| Henryk Stażewski | RELIEF NR 17 Agra-Art | $43,943 | $14,384 (34 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Bonhams (444)Levis Fine Art Auctions (258)Agra-Art (245)Whyte's (185)SOGA (129)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (115)Lempertz (71)Crocker Farm (11)