Art auction market report: April 2006

In April 2006, ArtSell recorded 1,229 auction lots from 7 auction houses, of which 1,046 sold (85% sell-through). The 1,046 sales with a published price total $10,249,862, with a median of $3,286 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was George Sharpe, “VIEW OF THE WEST CONVENT, ON THE CLADDAGH, GALWAY”, at $248,500 (Whyte's). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.

Lots offered

1,229

7 houses

Sold

1,046

85% sell-through

Total

$10M

1,046 priced sales

Median

$3.3k

priced sales

Top sales

#	Work	Artist	House · date	Price
1	VIEW OF THE WEST CONVENT, ON THE CLADDAGH, GALWAY, 1844	George Sharpe	Whyte's · Apr 25, 2006	$248,500 (€200,000)
2	(Russian/French 1887-1985)	Marc Chagall	Bonhams · Apr 30, 2006	$238,250
3	Auktion 247, Los 1590	Jakob Philipp Hackert	Van Ham · Apr 6, 2006	$238,237 (€193,500)
4	(American b. 1937)	Ed Ruscha	Bonhams · Apr 30, 2006	$194,250
5	(American b. 1937)	Ed Ruscha	Bonhams · Apr 30, 2006	$183,250
6	Fifth Avenue and Madison Square Winter, 1927	Guy Carleton Wiggins	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$183,250
7	A Rider with Packhorses in the Sierras; A Sierra Lake (double-sided)	Edgar Alwin Payne	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$183,250
8	A Small Encampment, El Capitan, in Yosemite Valley	Gilbert Munger	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$172,250
9	A Conversation in a Mission Garden, 1924	Joseph Kleitsch	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$172,250
10	IN THE WEST OF IRELAND, circa 1934	Paul Henry	Whyte's · Apr 25, 2006	$161,525 (€130,000)
11	Laguna Village (Corner of Laguna Avenue and Glenneyre Street), circa 1920	Joseph Kleitsch	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$161,250
12	THE TAIN - A COMPLETE SET, 1969	Louis le Brocquy	Whyte's · Apr 25, 2006	$149,100 (€120,000)
13	A Still Life of Wild Flowers on a Stone Ledge, 1877	Adelheid Dietrich	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$117,250
14	NIGHT, GLENGARRIFF, 1944	Jack Butler Yeats	Whyte's · Apr 25, 2006	$101,885 (€82,000)
15	Home of Golden Trout, Sierras	Edgar Alwin Payne	Bonhams · Apr 10, 2006	$100,000

Top American artists

Ranked by total of priced sales in the month; region from the artist’s recorded nationality.

Top American artists, April 2006
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Ed Ruscha American	$377,500	2	(American b. 1937) — $194,250
2	Joseph Kleitsch American	$376,520	4	A Conversation in a Mission Garden — $172,250
3	Edgar Alwin Payne American	$354,353	4	A Rider with Packhorses in the Sierras; A Sierra Lake (double-sided) — $183,250
4	Gilbert Munger American	$172,250	1	A Small Encampment, El Capitan, in Yosemite Valley — $172,250
5	Lionel Walden American	$104,113	2	Fishing Boats in Open Water — $71,250
6	Charles Courtney Curran American	$94,250	1	Windy Hilltop — $94,250
7	Herbert Bayer Austrian	$91,565	2	(Austrian 1900-1985) — $71,250
8	Grandma Moses American	$88,500	1	December (Going to Church) — $88,500
9	E. Irving Couse American	$85,365	2	Peaceful Indian at a Campsite — $77,000
10	Philip Latimer Dike American	$83,949	3	Down the Beach — $47,800

Top European artists

Top European artists, April 2006
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Marc Chagall Belarusian	$238,250	1	(Russian/French 1887-1985) — $238,250
2	Jack Butler Yeats Irish	$201,534	5	NIGHT, GLENGARRIFF — $101,885
3	Louis le Brocquy Irish	$191,966	5	THE TAIN - A COMPLETE SET — $149,100
4	Paul Henry Irish	$161,525	1	IN THE WEST OF IRELAND — $161,525
5	Adelheid Dietrich German	$117,250	1	A Still Life of Wild Flowers on a Stone Ledge — $117,250
6	James Humbert Craig Irish	$63,368	3	THE HERRING SEASON — $22,365
7	Donald Teskey Irish	$62,125	1	CASTLETOWNSHEND — $62,125
8	Tony O'Malley Irish	$58,646	2	MAGUEZ, LANZAROTE — $49,700
9	Letitia Marion Hamilton Irish	$57,155	2	THE TURF CART, ROUNDSTONE, circa 1940s — $39,760
10	Patrick Collins Irish	$54,670	2	LAKE SWAN FEEDING — $33,548

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
Ed Ruscha	(American b. 1937) Bonhams	$194,250	$35,250 (4 earlier)
Guy Carleton Wiggins	Fifth Avenue and Madison Square Winter Bonhams	$183,250	$81,750 (5 earlier)
Joseph Kleitsch	A Conversation in a Mission Garden Bonhams	$172,250	$99,000 (3 earlier)
Paul Henry	IN THE WEST OF IRELAND Whyte's	$161,525	$159,540 (10 earlier)
Herbert Bayer	(Austrian 1900-1985) Bonhams	$71,250	$39,600 (13 earlier)
Donald Teskey	CASTLETOWNSHEND Whyte's	$62,125	$29,249 (10 earlier)
Percy Gray	Lupines and Poppies with Oaks in the Distance Bonhams	$50,788	$44,063 (8 earlier)
Philip Latimer Dike	Down the Beach Bonhams	$47,800	$44,063 (5 earlier)
John Shinnors	WHITE KITE, ISLAND HOUSE Whyte's	$43,488	$35,379 (15 earlier)
Letitia Marion Hamilton	THE TURF CART, ROUNDSTONE, circa 1940s Whyte's	$39,760	$19,472 (35 earlier)
Gunnar Widforss	Cottonwood Trees (No. 202) Bonhams	$35,850	$21,150 (3 earlier)
William Keith	Spring Showers in Berkeley (No. 8) Bonhams	$35,850	$17,625 (15 earlier)
John B. Vallely	AT FULL GALLOP Whyte's	$32,305	$15,430 (5 earlier)
Paul de Longpré	Poppies and Bumblebees Bonhams	$31,070	$29,375 (3 earlier)
David Hockney	(British b. 1937) Bonhams	$29,875	$10,440 (29 earlier)

Auction houses this month

Bonhams (489)Levis Fine Art Auctions (200)Whyte's (161)Agra-Art (149)Sloans & Kenyon (144)HAUS Galerii (85)Van Ham (1)