Art auction market report: August 2009
In August 2009, ArtSell recorded 617 auction lots from 6 auction houses, of which 451 sold (73% sell-through). The 451 sales with a published price total $3,359,395, with a median of $1,035 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Franz Bischoff, “'Roses'”, at $798,000 (Bonhams). 8 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Lots offered
617
6 houses
Sold
451
73% sell-through
Total
$3.4M
451 priced sales
Median
$1k
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 | Franz Bischoff Austrian | $840,700 | 2 | 'Roses' — $798,000 |
| 2 | Guy Rose American | $398,000 | 1 | 'Lowtide Honfleur' — $398,000 |
| 3 | Granville Redmond American | $223,575 | 4 | Spring — $170,000 |
| 4 | Edgar Alwin Payne American | $188,855 | 8 | Majestic alpine scene — $61,000 |
| 5 | William Wendt American | $152,500 | 2 | 'Far from the Maddening Crowd' — $97,600 |
| 6 | Armin Carl Hansen American | $130,000 | 1 | 'Wanderer of the Past' — $130,000 |
| 7 | Theodore Wores American | $62,650 | 3 | 'A mat weaver in Samoa' — $27,450 |
| 8 | Elmer Wachtel American | $37,210 | 3 | Sunlit valley — $19,520 |
| 9 | Charles Reiffel American | $35,990 | 4 | 'Mountain Barrier' — $15,860 |
| 10 | Hanson Puthuff American | $35,990 | 2 | 'Enduring Ramparts (Superstition Mountains)' — $29,280 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William John Hennessy Irish | $23,790 | 1 | The Japanese parasol — $23,790 |
| 2 | Henri Matisse French | $20,700 | 1 | Two Seated Nudes — $20,700 |
| 3 | Théodore Baur German | $5,185 | 1 | The buffalo hunt — $5,185 |
| 4 | Peter Ellenshaw British | $2,745 | 1 | A clearing storm over the wetlands — $2,745 |
| 5 | Roger Hilton British | $2,415 | 1 | Two Nudes — $2,415 |
| 6 | Pierre-Jules Mêne French | $1,725 | 1 | Vainqueur Du Derby — $1,725 |
| 7 | Jean-Jacques Henner French | $1,380 | 1 | Red and Blue — $1,380 |
| 8 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $1,280 | 2 | Mes Dessins D’Antibes — $690 |
| 9 | Otto Bierhals German | $1,265 | 1 | Nude in Forest — $1,265 |
| 10 | Wojciech Fangor Polish | $1,207 | 1 | M 65 — $1,207 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Bischoff | 'Roses' Bonhams | $798,000 | $252,000 (35 earlier) |
| Will Sparks | Adobe in moonlight Bonhams | $25,620 | $18,000 (17 earlier) |
| William John Hennessy | The Japanese parasol Bonhams | $23,790 | $8,890 (6 earlier) |
| Chris Jorgensen | 'Carmel' Bonhams | $10,980 | $8,365 (5 earlier) |
| Charles A. Fries | Houses in Escondido Valley Bonhams | $9,760 | $9,600 (7 earlier) |
| Joyce Williams | Picket Fence, Monhegan James D. Julia | $1,265 | $1,035 (3 earlier) |
| Grażyna Bartnik | Cykl: Obraz kontrolny (9 grafik) Agra-Art | $818 | $215 (4 earlier) |
| Gordon Crook | To Island Bay No. 3 Art+Object | $790 | $436 (6 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
James D. Julia (315)Bonhams (181)Art+Object (66)Agra-Art (45)Levis Fine Art Auctions (9)Bolsa de Arte (1)