Art auction market report: February 2008
In February 2008, ArtSell recorded 867 auction lots from 5 auction houses, of which 739 sold (85% sell-through). The 739 sales with a published price total $3,545,282, with a median of $1,920 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Daniel O'Neill, “KING AND QUEEN”, at $100,756 (Whyte's). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Lots offered
867
5 houses
Sold
739
85% sell-through
Total
$3.5M
739 priced sales
Median
$1.9k
priced sales
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 | Andy Warhol American | $156,720 | 7 | Mao — $75,600 |
| 2 | Joshua Johnson American | $45,000 | 1 | Untitled — $45,000 |
| 3 | Esteban Vicente American | $33,000 | 1 | Collage — $33,000 |
| 4 | Alexander Calder American | $32,160 | 9 | Star — $6,300 |
| 5 | Sam Gilliam American | $29,000 | 1 | Left Is Right — $29,000 |
| 6 | Kenneth Noland American | $24,000 | 1 | Untitled — $24,000 |
| 7 | Joseph Henry Sharp American | $23,000 | 1 | Two Moons — $23,000 |
| 8 | Ed Ruscha American | $20,232 | 11 | Thirtyfour Parking Lots — $3,960 |
| 9 | Helen Lundeberg American | $18,000 | 1 | Naiad #2 — $18,000 |
| 10 | John Kingerlee American | $17,484 | 2 | THE GUARDIAN OF BEARA — $8,890 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerard Dillon Irish | $154,097 | 2 | YOUNG COUPLE IN A LANDSCAPE — $77,048 |
| 2 | Letitia Marion Hamilton Irish | $119,129 | 9 | A CAMPO IN VENICE, TWILIGHT — $19,262 |
| 3 | Daniel O'Neill Irish | $100,756 | 1 | KING AND QUEEN — $100,756 |
| 4 | Donald Teskey Irish | $77,048 | 2 | FOOTBRIDGE AT SEAPOINT — $47,414 |
| 5 | William Conor Irish | $75,270 | 3 | CHILD WITH MIRROR — $48,896 |
| 6 | Markey Robinson British | $71,566 | 5 | CORN GLEANERS — $37,043 |
| 7 | James Humbert Craig Irish | $66,528 | 5 | HERRING BOATS OFF A ROCKY SHORE — $25,189 |
| 8 | Kenneth Webb British | $48,600 | 3 | EVENING LIGHT — $32,597 |
| 9 | Francis Bacon British | $41,488 | 1 | SECOND VERSION OF TRIPTYCH — $41,488 |
| 10 | Peter Curling British | $37,043 | 1 | WHIPS CROSSING — $37,043 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Dorwin Teague | Nocturne radio Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $96,000 | $72,000 (4 earlier) |
| George Nakashima | Coffee table Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $60,000 | $36,000 (61 earlier) |
| William Conor | CHILD WITH MIRROR Whyte's | $48,896 | $43,754 (23 earlier) |
| George Nelson | Marshmallow sofa Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $38,400 | $12,650 (60 earlier) |
| Peter Curling | WHIPS CROSSING Whyte's | $37,043 | $7,678 (10 earlier) |
| Kenneth Webb | EVENING LIGHT Whyte's | $32,597 | $23,010 (141 earlier) |
| Rudolph M. Schindler | Armchair Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $31,200 | $19,200 (4 earlier) |
| Poul Kjaerholm | Prototype PK 15 chairs (4) Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $30,000 | $21,600 (8 earlier) |
| Sam Gilliam | Left Is Right Sloans & Kenyon | $29,000 | $14,100 (8 earlier) |
| Rafael Coronel | Circus Sisters Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $22,800 | $17,925 (4 earlier) |
| William Crozier | LISHEEN, WEST CORK Whyte's | $20,003 | $19,278 (29 earlier) |
| Joe Colombo | Hemispherical Coupe floor light Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $14,400 | $12,650 (4 earlier) |
| Gaetano Pesce | Group of resin objects (13) Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $12,000 | $3,240 (5 earlier) |
| William John Hennessy | GATHERING CIDER APPLES, NORMANDY Whyte's | $8,890 | $7,876 (4 earlier) |
| John Follis and Rex Goode | Bisque Pig planter Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $7,800 | $7,200 (3 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (331)Sloans & Kenyon (228)Whyte's (192)Art+Object (76)Agra-Art (40)