Art auction market report: May 2008
In May 2008, ArtSell recorded 2,317 auction lots from 12 auction houses, of which 1,946 sold (84% sell-through). The 1,946 sales with a published price total $62,416,632, with a median of $8,374 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was August Macke, “Kinder am Hafen I (6 A)”, at $3,229,541 (Grisebach). 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 | George Grosz German | $1,531,265 | 10 | Bürgerliche Welt — $442,908 |
| 2 | Otto Dix American | $1,162,367 | 15 | Sitzender weiblicher Rückenakt — $332,181 |
| 3 | Richard Edward Miller American | $645,000 | 4 | Seated Lady with Red Hair — $300,000 |
| 4 | Sam Francis American | $344,278 | 1 | Red & Blue (SF 62 - 103) — $344,278 |
| 5 | Arman American | $325,668 | 5 | OHNE TITEL (KONZERTFLÜGEL) — $154,460 |
| 6 | Christo American | $277,686 | 4 | Wrapped Reichstag (Project for Berlin) — $110,603 |
| 7 | George Rickey American | $258,363 | 1 | Three rectangles horizontal jointed gyratory — $258,363 |
| 8 | Lyonel Feininger American | $185,153 | 8 | Gelmeroda — $73,818 |
| 9 | Andy Warhol American | $184,832 | 8 | Mao — $44,291 |
| 10 | Edward Cucuel American | $184,746 | 1 | Im Walde — $184,746 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emil Nolde German | $3,946,094 | 17 | Abendlandschaft mit Mühle — $597,158 |
| 2 | Max Beckmann German | $3,392,210 | 14 | Grauer Strand — $1,660,907 |
| 3 | August Macke German | $3,266,450 | 2 | Kinder am Hafen I (6 A) — $3,229,541 |
| 4 | Camille Pissarro French | $2,364,148 | 2 | Match de cricket à Bedford Park, Londres — $2,352,951 |
| 5 | Max Liebermann German | $2,223,508 | 15 | Blumenstauden am Gärtnerhäuschen nach Nordosten“. 1929 (?) — $738,181 |
| 6 | Gustav Klimt Austrian | $1,359,935 | 10 | Auf dem Rücken liegender Halbakt mit abgewinkeltem rechten Bein — $369,090 |
| 7 | Sigmar Polke German | $1,209,810 | 34 | Ohne Titel — $93,048 |
| 8 | Erik Werenskiold Norwegian | $1,088,747 | 3 | Minner I — $539,379 |
| 9 | Karl Schmidt-Rottluff German | $728,567 | 15 | Lebasee mit Lontzkedüne — $387,545 |
| 10 | Christian Rohlfs German | $673,990 | 8 | Gartenhaus unter Bäumen — $442,908 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camille Pissarro | Match de cricket à Bedford Park, Londres Grisebach | $2,352,951 | $239,833 (16 earlier) |
| Max Beckmann | Grauer Strand Grisebach | $1,660,907 | $324,963 (122 earlier) |
| Erik Werenskiold | Minner I Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $539,379 | $26,989 (18 earlier) |
| Franz Marc | Voralpenlandschaft Grisebach | $498,272 | $77,289 (28 earlier) |
| George Grosz | Bürgerliche Welt Grisebach | $442,908 | $65,347 (62 earlier) |
| Christian Rohlfs | Gartenhaus unter Bäumen Grisebach | $442,908 | $144,126 (87 earlier) |
| Odd Nerdrum | Skyen Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner | $379,563 | $98,274 (14 earlier) |
| Gustav Klimt | Auf dem Rücken liegender Halbakt mit abgewinkeltem rechten Bein Grisebach | $369,090 | $18,904 (5 earlier) |
| Sam Francis | Red & Blue (SF 62 - 103) Lempertz | $344,278 | $106,749 (46 earlier) |
| Otto Dix | Sitzender weiblicher Rückenakt Grisebach | $332,181 | $223,844 (137 earlier) |
| Antoni Tàpies | Ohne Titel Grisebach | $258,363 | $36,381 (133 earlier) |
| Anselm Kiefer | Für Paul Celan Grisebach | $254,672 | $96,084 (4 earlier) |
| Damien Hirst | Biphenyl C Grisebach | $239,909 | $19,485 (7 earlier) |
| Jörg Immendorff | dans Paris Bar (droping Michel) Grisebach | $230,682 | $167,808 (87 earlier) |
| Rainer Fetting | Mauer am Südstern Grisebach | $193,772 | $175,656 (50 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Lempertz (825)Grisebach (444)Bonhams (292)Whyte's (275)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (181)James D. Julia (83)Art+Object (66)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (60)SOGA (54)Agra-Art (32)Crocker Farm (4)Bolsa de Arte (1)