Art auction market report: December 2005
In December 2005, ArtSell recorded 2,332 auction lots from 11 auction houses, of which 2,034 sold (87% sell-through). The 2,034 sales with a published price total $26,049,621, with a median of $2,784 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Lyonel Feininger, “Gelmeroda XI”, at $1,948,720 (Lempertz). 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 | Lyonel Feininger American | $1,980,039 | 6 | Gelmeroda XI — $1,948,720 |
| 2 | George Chann American | $316,450 | 3 | Abstract Composition — $193,293 |
| 3 | Josef Albers German | $306,394 | 2 | Study to Homage to the Square: "Lighting up" — $278,389 |
| 4 | Maurice Braun American | $266,100 | 6 | Eucalyptus — $81,750 |
| 5 | Edgar Alwin Payne American | $215,825 | 3 | Sierra Pass — $170,000 |
| 6 | Joseph Henry Sharp American | $198,375 | 3 | Crucita by Firelight — $104,750 |
| 7 | Percy Gray American | $161,588 | 5 | A View of Mt. Tamalpais, Marin County, California — $44,063 |
| 8 | Edouard Vysekal American | $146,250 | 2 | A Figure in Shadows — $76,000 |
| 9 | Yun Gee American | $133,176 | 1 | Landscape with Houses and Donkey — $133,176 |
| 10 | Selden Connor Gile American | $110,038 | 2 | In the Hills — $104,750 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexej von Jawlensky Russian | $570,697 | 1 | Sonnenuntergang am Meer — $570,697 |
| 2 | Emil Nolde German | $467,971 | 6 | Marschlandschaft — $264,469 |
| 3 | Max Liebermann German | $416,130 | 5 | Zwei holländische Kinder - Zwei Schwestern, nach rechts - Studie zum "Schulgang in Laren" — $250,550 |
| 4 | Zao Wou-ki French | $390,344 | 1 | 12. 12. 2000 — $390,344 |
| 5 | Franz Wilhelm Seiwert German | $382,784 | 1 | Demonstration — $382,784 |
| 6 | Marc Chagall Belarusian | $377,456 | 15 | Peintre devant chevalet — $271,429 |
| 7 | Oskar Kokoschka Austrian | $354,249 | 3 | Evelyn (Threnody) — $347,986 |
| 8 | Emil Schumacher German | $352,886 | 5 | Mobi — $194,872 |
| 9 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $309,704 | 8 | Jeune Pêcheur Catalán — $160,073 |
| 10 | Gabriele Münter German | $282,804 | 6 | Rosa Stilleben — $117,971 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyonel Feininger | Gelmeroda XI Lempertz | $1,948,720 | $37,889 (74 earlier) |
| Chu Teh-chun | Eaux profondes (Deeps Waters) Ravenel | $674,230 | $498,764 (15 earlier) |
| Sanyu | Vase of Flower with Blue Ground Ravenel | $674,230 | $22,182 (6 earlier) |
| Alexej von Jawlensky | Sonnenuntergang am Meer Lempertz | $570,697 | $336,794 (13 earlier) |
| Franz Wilhelm Seiwert | Demonstration Lempertz | $382,784 | $18,927 (6 earlier) |
| Wu Guanzhong | Fish Boats Ravenel | $373,645 | $157,002 (3 earlier) |
| Oskar Kokoschka | Evelyn (Threnody) Lempertz | $347,986 | $49,572 (49 earlier) |
| Josef Albers | Study to Homage to the Square: "Lighting up" Lempertz | $278,389 | $35,650 (16 earlier) |
| Marc Chagall | Peintre devant chevalet Lempertz | $271,429 | $94,723 (167 earlier) |
| Günther Uecker | Weisses Feld Lempertz | $180,953 | $47,100 (27 earlier) |
| Sigmar Polke | Druckfehler Lempertz | $167,033 | $111,816 (60 earlier) |
| Ernst Ludwig Kirchner | Zwei nackte Mädchen am Ofen Ketterer Kunst | $165,209 | $56,977 (65 earlier) |
| Max Beckmann | Der Raucher (Selbstbildnis) Lempertz | $119,707 | $35,368 (69 earlier) |
| Max Slevogt | Kinder am Weiher (Garten in Godramstein) Lempertz | $118,315 | $47,547 (23 earlier) |
| Toni Stadler | Woge Lempertz | $111,355 | $89,066 (3 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Lempertz (580)Bonhams (368)Whyte's (294)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (263)Ketterer Kunst (203)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (175)Agra-Art (173)Sloans & Kenyon (109)Ravenel (88)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (76)SOGA (3)