Art auction market report: May 2007
In May 2007, ArtSell recorded 2,280 auction lots from 12 auction houses, of which 1,901 sold (83% sell-through). The 1,901 sales with a published price total $21,229,936, with a median of $2,426 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Frederick Carl Frieseke, “Two Ladies in a Garden”, at $880,000 (Bonhams). 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 | Frederick Carl Frieseke American | $880,000 | 1 | Two Ladies in a Garden — $880,000 |
| 2 | John Singer Sargent American | $828,000 | 2 | Sandali — $768,000 |
| 3 | Maynard Dixon American | $463,800 | 4 | Red Rocks and Cactus, 1945 (No.746) — $288,000 |
| 4 | Granville Redmond American | $423,000 | 5 | California Poppies — $144,000 |
| 5 | John Martin Tracy American | $420,000 | 1 | Hunter's Rest — $420,000 |
| 6 | John Baldessari American | $390,000 | 1 | 11th and National — $390,000 |
| 7 | Robert Crumb American | $383,400 | 8 | Abstract Expressionist Ultra Super Modernist Comics, 1967 (3) — $72,000 |
| 8 | Alexander Calder American | $371,115 | 5 | Untitled (Standing Mobile) — $240,000 |
| 9 | Franz Bischoff Austrian | $309,600 | 5 | A Glass Vase full of Roses — $252,000 |
| 10 | Manuel Neri American | $229,440 | 5 | Prietas Series V, 1993/2000 — $156,000 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Krohg Norwegian | $383,301 | 4 | Ellen Hvide Bang — $297,774 |
| 2 | Frits Thaulow Norwegian | $337,477 | 5 | Fransk elvelandskap — $132,344 |
| 3 | Jakob Weidemann Norwegian | $294,796 | 9 | To kvinner i interiør — $99,258 |
| 4 | Kai Fjell Norwegian | $289,503 | 3 | Kvinne i interiør — $122,418 |
| 5 | Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski Polish | $238,177 | 1 | POWRÓT Z JARMARKU — $238,177 |
| 6 | Martial Raysse French | $216,000 | 1 | Tableau presque cuvé — $216,000 |
| 7 | Markey Robinson British | $209,236 | 24 | FRENCH VILLAGE STREET — $30,914 |
| 8 | Rossello di Jacopo Franchi Italian | $192,452 | 1 | THRONENDE MADONNA VON ENGELN UMGEBEN — $192,452 |
| 9 | Victor Vasarely French | $180,407 | 4 | Eridan-MC — $66,000 |
| 10 | Gustave Loiseau French | $180,000 | 1 | L'Oise à Pontoise — $180,000 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Krohg | Ellen Hvide Bang Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $297,774 | $83,904 (28 earlier) |
| Franz Bischoff | A Glass Vase full of Roses Bonhams | $252,000 | $88,500 (11 earlier) |
| Alexander Calder | Untitled (Standing Mobile) Bonhams | $240,000 | $31,654 (36 earlier) |
| Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski | POWRÓT Z JARMARKU Agra-Art | $238,177 | $207,603 (34 earlier) |
| Manuel Neri | Prietas Series V, 1993/2000 Bonhams | $156,000 | $15,275 (3 earlier) |
| Granville Redmond | California Poppies Bonhams | $144,000 | $88,500 (8 earlier) |
| Thomas Hill | Deer Walking on a Wooded Path Bonhams | $132,000 | $117,250 (11 earlier) |
| Maria Helena Vieira da Silva | Untitled Bonhams | $117,000 | $27,744 (8 earlier) |
| Jakob Weidemann | To kvinner i interiør Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $99,258 | $73,030 (72 earlier) |
| Paul Wonner | Dutch Still Life with Cookies and Candy Bonhams | $96,000 | $31,070 (8 earlier) |
| Karel Appel | Grande Tête I Bonhams | $78,000 | $45,705 (37 earlier) |
| Jack Wilkinson Smith | La Estada Encantada Bonhams | $78,000 | $44,813 (3 earlier) |
| Christo | Wrapped Couch-Project Bonhams | $78,000 | $6,964 (25 earlier) |
| Amaldus Nielsen | Kystlandskap med seilskute Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $76,098 | $13,649 (7 earlier) |
| Joseph Raphael | Two Children Reading Bonhams | $72,000 | $32,313 (8 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Bonhams (838)Whyte's (358)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (327)Art+Object (164)Agra-Art (154)Ketterer Kunst (121)Lempertz (100)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (82)James D. Julia (62)SOGA (55)Levis Fine Art Auctions (11)Crocker Farm (8)