Art auction market report: November 2006

In November 2006, ArtSell recorded 1,982 auction lots from 13 auction houses, of which 1,697 sold (86% sell-through). The 1,697 sales with a published price total $31,036,630, with a median of $3,585 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was John Singer Sargent, “Portrait of a Child”, at $2,647,250 (Bonhams). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.

Lots offered

1,982

13 houses

Sold

1,697

86% sell-through

Total

$31M

1,697 priced sales

Median

$3.6k

priced sales

Top sales

#	Work	Artist	House · date	Price
1	Portrait of a Child	John Singer Sargent	Bonhams · Nov 28, 2006	$2,647,250
2	Papageienmann	Max Liebermann	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$1,162,392 (€880,600)
3	Sognebud, 1863	Adolph Tidemand	Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Nov 28, 2006	$952,560 (NOK 6,000,000)
4	Stilleben mit zwei Holzfiguren und Blumen	Ernst Ludwig Kirchner	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$942,480 (€714,000)
5	Rose Garden, Giverny	Frederick Carl Frieseke	Bonhams · Nov 28, 2006	$832,250
6	Der Nutzgarten nach Nordosten - Blumenstauden	Max Liebermann	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$753,984 (€571,200)
7	Stilleben mit Krügen und Kerzen	Ernst Ludwig Kirchner	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$628,320 (€476,000)
8	THE THORNBUSH, 1894	Walter Osborne	Whyte's · Nov 28, 2006	$525,880 (€400,000)
9	7. Abstrakte Komposition	Kurt Schwitters	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$486,948 (€368,900)
10	Gammelt herresete på Grünerløkken, 1882	Frits Thaulow	Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Nov 28, 2006	$444,528 (NOK 2,800,000)
11	Rugende måke	Kai Fjell	Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Nov 28, 2006	$428,652 (NOK 2,700,000)
12	Groveir	Nikolai Astrup	Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Nov 28, 2006	$349,272 (NOK 2,200,000)
13	Madonna	Edvard Munch	Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Nov 28, 2006	$349,272 (NOK 2,200,000)
14	Sitzendes Mädchen mit schwarzem Hut und Blume in der rechten Hand	Paula Modersohn-Becker	Lempertz · Nov 30, 2006	$345,576 (€261,800)
15	Yes Sir! That's Hills Brothers Coffee	Norman Rockwell	Bonhams · Nov 28, 2006	$337,250

Top American artists

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

Top American artists, November 2006
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	John Singer Sargent American	$2,647,250	1	Portrait of a Child — $2,647,250
2	Frederick Carl Frieseke American	$832,250	1	Rose Garden, Giverny — $832,250
3	Norman Rockwell American	$337,250	1	Yes Sir! That's Hills Brothers Coffee — $337,250
4	Lyonel Feininger American	$273,663	10	Town Hall of Cammin — $157,080
5	Andy Warhol American	$205,885	8	Joseph Beuys — $54,000
6	Otto Dix American	$168,076	10	Blumenstilleben mit Vasen und Muscheln — $53,407
7	Sean Scully American	$162,891	3	CURACAO — $120,952
8	Josef Albers German	$144,000	1	Homage to the Square — $144,000
9	Martin Johnson Heade American	$137,090	2	Orange Blossoms in a Glass — $122,750
10	Alfred Thompson Bricher American	$82,600	1	Coastal View at Morning with Dinghy and Sailing Sloops — $82,600

Top European artists

Top European artists, November 2006
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Max Liebermann German	$2,168,175	6	Papageienmann — $1,162,392
2	Ernst Ludwig Kirchner German	$1,659,550	5	Stilleben mit zwei Holzfiguren und Blumen — $942,480
3	Adolph Tidemand Norwegian	$952,560	1	Sognebud — $952,560
4	Edvard Munch Norwegian	$890,477	19	Madonna — $349,272
5	Emil Nolde German	$733,338	6	Rote Blüten — $219,912
6	Kai Fjell Norwegian	$701,719	3	Rugende måke — $428,652
7	Frits Thaulow Norwegian	$696,956	4	Gammelt herresete på Grünerløkken — $444,528
8	Walter Osborne Irish	$525,880	1	THE THORNBUSH — $525,880
9	Kurt Schwitters German	$492,917	2	7. Abstrakte Komposition — $486,948
10	Paul Henry Irish	$439,110	3	LOBSTER FISHERMEN OFF ACHILL — $223,499

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
Max Liebermann	Papageienmann Lempertz	$1,162,392	$792,992 (113 earlier)
Adolph Tidemand	Sognebud Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner	$952,560	$435,480 (10 earlier)
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner	Stilleben mit zwei Holzfiguren und Blumen Lempertz	$942,480	$165,209 (84 earlier)
Walter Osborne	THE THORNBUSH Whyte's	$525,880	$39,579 (8 earlier)
Frits Thaulow	Gammelt herresete på Grünerløkken Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner	$444,528	$80,736 (60 earlier)
Kai Fjell	Rugende måke Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner	$428,652	$77,151 (89 earlier)
Nikolai Astrup	Groveir Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner	$349,272	$84,737 (7 earlier)
Arnaldo Pomodoro	(Italian b.1926) Bonhams	$337,250	$29,231 (5 earlier)
Louis le Brocquy	IMAGE OF SAMUEL BECKETT Whyte's	$236,646	$154,531 (80 earlier)
Mary Swanzy	CUBIST LANDSCAPE WITH RED PAGODA AND BRIDGE Whyte's	$236,646	$21,272 (10 earlier)
Paul Henry	LOBSTER FISHERMEN OFF ACHILL Whyte's	$223,499	$161,525 (12 earlier)
Daniel O'Neill	GIRL WITH CAT Whyte's	$223,499	$64,905 (33 earlier)
Lovis Corinth	Springbrunnen im Garten am Walchensee Lempertz	$133,518	$114,374 (72 earlier)
William Scott	JUG AND PEAR Whyte's	$127,526	$87,157 (19 earlier)
Hans Heyerdahl	Brevet Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner	$127,008	$118,138 (7 earlier)

Auction houses this month

Bonhams (437)Lempertz (344)Levis Fine Art Auctions (289)Whyte's (225)Sloans & Kenyon (163)Agra-Art (138)SOGA (128)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (95)Wright (57)Ketterer Kunst (54)HAUS Galerii (25)Bolsa de Arte (17)Crocker Farm (10)