Art auction market report: October 2009
In October 2009, ArtSell recorded 1,422 auction lots from 9 auction houses, of which 1,111 sold (78% sell-through). The 1,111 sales with a published price total $9,751,956, with a median of $2,932 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Irma Stern, “Carla”, at $756,462 (Strauss & Co). 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 | $248,296 | 7 | Erotische Szene — $58,638 |
| 2 | Niki de Saint Phalle French | $45,811 | 2 | Les Baigneurs — $43,979 |
| 3 | Lyonel Feininger American | $16,125 | 3 | Old Shellbacks (Alte Seebären) — $7,696 |
| 4 | Keith Haring American | $11,911 | 1 | Growing — $11,911 |
| 5 | Tom Wesselmann American | $10,628 | 1 | Blue nude # 3 — $10,628 |
| 6 | Arman American | $10,078 | 1 | La danse du feu — $10,078 |
| 7 | Man Ray American | $8,429 | 2 | Les Trois Nus — $5,131 |
| 8 | Robert Rauschenberg American | $8,063 | 2 | Ground Rules — $5,131 |
| 9 | Sol LeWitt American | $7,879 | 2 | Vertical not straight lines not touching in color — $5,681 |
| 10 | Harry Bertoia American | $6,414 | 1 | Ohne Titel — $6,414 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolf Kibel Polish | $312,570 | 3 | Self Portrait — $166,422 |
| 2 | Jörg Immendorff German | $286,044 | 20 | Malerstamm Tilman — $21,073 |
| 3 | Jean Welz Austrian | $191,185 | 4 | Still Life (Cezannesque) — $166,422 |
| 4 | Markus Lüpertz German | $131,019 | 4 | Männer ohne Frauen - Parsifal — $58,638 |
| 5 | Frans Oerder Dutch | $124,060 | 3 | Magnolias — $63,543 |
| 6 | Jüri Arrak Estonian | $101,143 | 1 | Tango — $101,143 |
| 7 | Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski Polish | $81,704 | 1 | W DRODZE NA JARMARK — $81,704 |
| 8 | Karl Hofer Swiss | $70,549 | 5 | Jüngling mit Buch — $29,319 |
| 9 | Vladimir Tretchikoff Russian | $60,517 | 2 | Chrysanthemums in a Chinese Vase — $31,771 |
| 10 | Carl Blechen German | $56,806 | 2 | Burgruine — $38,481 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irma Stern | Carla Strauss & Co | $756,462 | $680,292 (5 earlier) |
| Jean Welz | Still Life (Cezannesque) Strauss & Co | $166,422 | $115,126 (6 earlier) |
| Jüri Arrak | Tango HAUS Galerii | $101,143 | $87,046 (14 earlier) |
| Ladislav Mednyánszky | Barbizonský les SOGA | $94,221 | $44,996 (53 earlier) |
| Maud Sumner | Still Life with Flowers and a Candle Strauss & Co | $54,465 | $41,864 (3 earlier) |
| Linda Kits-Mägi | Kevadine kimp HAUS Galerii | $35,698 | $3,046 (6 earlier) |
| Bertha Everard | Cornfields, Kimpton Strauss & Co | $33,284 | $26,435 (3 earlier) |
| Michael Wesely | 19.2.2003 - 28.5.2005 Allianz Arena Ketterer Kunst | $22,906 | $11,842 (3 earlier) |
| Carl Wuttke | TOWN GATE IN JERUSALEM Lempertz | $22,678 | $5,593 (5 earlier) |
| Jozef Teodor Mousson | Zelený štvrtok SOGA | $22,525 | $20,230 (20 earlier) |
| Raivo Korstnik | Suvehommik HAUS Galerii | $19,336 | $4,431 (12 earlier) |
| Józef Rapacki | TATRY W ŚNIEGU, 1905 (?) Agra-Art | $19,131 | $18,249 (20 earlier) |
| Norman Catherine | Waiting Strauss & Co | $16,642 | $8,373 (7 earlier) |
| Walter Gramatté | Mondaufgang auf Hiddensee Ketterer Kunst | $15,759 | $799 (3 earlier) |
| Sydney Kumalo | Standing Nude Strauss & Co | $15,129 | $1,615 (3 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Ketterer Kunst (401)SOGA (234)Bolsa de Arte (218)Strauss & Co (189)Agra-Art (161)Crocker Farm (109)Lempertz (78)HAUS Galerii (25)Artmark (7)