Art auction market report: May 2011
In May 2011, ArtSell recorded 3,184 auction lots from 18 auction houses, of which 2,598 sold (82% sell-through). The 2,598 sales with a published price total $81,817,230, with a median of $5,569 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Sanyu, “Five Nudes”, at $16,495,536 (Ravenel). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Lots offered
3,184
18 houses
Sold
2,598
82% sell-through
Total
$82M
2,598 priced sales
Median
$5.6k
priced sales
Top sales
| # | Work | Artist | House · date | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Five Nudes, 1950-1959 | Sanyu | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $16,495,536 (HK$128,320,000) |
| 2 | Spring to the North, 1996 | Wu Guanzhong | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $1,594,020 (HK$12,400,000) |
| 3 | Bloodline Series - Big Family, 2006 | Zhang Xiaogang | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $1,450,044 (HK$11,280,000) |
| 4 | Concetto spaziale, 1956 | Lucio Fontana | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $1,427,071 (€1,000,400) |
| 5 | Chromatische Scheiben, 1960 | Ernst Wilhelm Nay | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $1,305,248 (€915,000) |
| 6 | Bonjour, Monsieur Botero, 1982 | Fernando Botero | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $1,026,795 (€719,800) |
| 7 | Drei Akte, 1913 | August Macke | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $1,009,391 (€707,600) |
| 8 | Andy Warhol is Shooting Picture, 2004 | Zeng Fanzhi | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $1,002,690 (HK$7,800,000) |
| 9 | Tronie of an Old Woman | Jan Lievens | Lempertz · May 15, 2011 | $863,940 (€605,000) |
| 10 | 29.2.80, 1980 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $771,300 (HK$6,000,000) |
| 11 | Raumplastik, Um 1959 | Norbert Kricke | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $696,132 (€488,000) |
| 12 | Kleines Feld, 1976 | Günther Uecker | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $661,325 (€463,600) |
| 13 | Nordische Landschaft, 1931 | Max Pechstein | Grisebach · May 27, 2011 | $522,099 (€366,000) |
| 14 | THE TOWER OF BABEL | Lucas van Valckenborch | Lempertz · May 15, 2011 | $518,364 (€363,000) |
| 15 | No. 167, 1964 | Chu Teh-chun | Ravenel · May 30, 2011 | $493,632 (HK$3,840,000) |
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 | Otto Dix American | $1,108,166 | 29 | Gletscher im Engadin — $400,276 |
| 2 | Andy Warhol American | $604,166 | 8 | Ohne Titel (Torso) — $374,171 |
| 3 | Max Ernst German | $516,612 | 7 | Ein Mond ist guter Dinge — $330,663 |
| 4 | George Rickey American | $451,396 | 3 | One Up One Down — $295,856 |
| 5 | Rudolf Bauer German | $435,083 | 1 | Contrast — $435,083 |
| 6 | Lyonel Feininger American | $408,332 | 13 | Straße — $156,630 |
| 7 | Keith Haring American | $348,818 | 3 | Portrait of Elliot Gross — $348,066 |
| 8 | Walasse Ting American | $254,529 | 2 | We Waiting for You to Go to Restaurant — $215,964 |
| 9 | Childe Hassam American | $242,000 | 1 | Old Indian Trail to the Sea — $242,000 |
| 10 | James Carroll Beckwith American | $236,000 | 1 | The Garden of Giverny, France — $236,000 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernst Wilhelm Nay German | $2,498,244 | 9 | Chromatische Scheiben — $1,305,248 |
| 2 | Lucio Fontana Italian | $1,456,435 | 4 | Concetto spaziale — $1,427,071 |
| 3 | Max Pechstein German | $1,226,062 | 12 | Nordische Landschaft — $522,099 |
| 4 | August Macke German | $1,203,438 | 4 | Drei Akte — $1,009,391 |
| 5 | Karl Hofer Swiss | $925,856 | 10 | Mädchenkopf — $217,541 |
| 6 | Emil Nolde German | $896,973 | 17 | Clematis-Blüten — $182,735 |
| 7 | Emil Schumacher German | $873,614 | 8 | Gagaola — $348,066 |
| 8 | Jan Lievens Dutch | $863,940 | 1 | Tronie of an Old Woman — $863,940 |
| 9 | Lesser Ury German | $846,604 | 17 | Siegesallee mit Siegessäule im Herbst — $116,602 |
| 10 | Zao Wou-ki French | $773,929 | 2 | 29.2.80 — $771,300 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanyu | Five Nudes Ravenel | $16,495,536 | $2,333,568 (29 earlier) |
| Wu Guanzhong | Spring to the North Ravenel | $1,594,020 | $833,340 (17 earlier) |
| Zhang Xiaogang | Bloodline Series - Big Family Ravenel | $1,450,044 | $1,272,480 (5 earlier) |
| Lucio Fontana | Concetto spaziale Grisebach | $1,427,071 | $219,570 (41 earlier) |
| Ernst Wilhelm Nay | Chromatische Scheiben Grisebach | $1,305,248 | $403,363 (106 earlier) |
| Fernando Botero | Bonjour, Monsieur Botero Grisebach | $1,026,795 | $389,690 (15 earlier) |
| Zeng Fanzhi | Andy Warhol is Shooting Picture Ravenel | $1,002,690 | $480,194 (5 earlier) |
| Norbert Kricke | Raumplastik Grisebach | $696,132 | $135,027 (10 earlier) |
| Günther Uecker | Kleines Feld Grisebach | $661,325 | $515,326 (82 earlier) |
| Max Pechstein | Nordische Landschaft Grisebach | $522,099 | $509,402 (217 earlier) |
| Rudolf Bauer | Contrast Grisebach | $435,083 | $41,425 (10 earlier) |
| Otto Dix | Gletscher im Engadin Grisebach | $400,276 | $332,181 (194 earlier) |
| Georg Kolbe | Brunnentänzerin Grisebach | $400,276 | $200,920 (30 earlier) |
| Serge Poliakoff | Composition abstraite Grisebach | $382,873 | $312,107 (113 earlier) |
| Albert Oehlen | 3 Amigos II Grisebach | $382,873 | $330,082 (19 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Ketterer Kunst (581)Grisebach (507)Levis Fine Art Auctions (315)Whyte's (295)Strauss & Co (295)Lempertz (234)Bolsa de Arte (210)Jackson's International Auctioneers (169)deVeres (141)Bonhams (96)Ravenel (69)Agra-Art (59)SOGA (53)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (51)Galerie Kodl (47)Toovey's (35)HAUS Galerii (25)Artmark (2)