Art auction market report: December 2011
In December 2011, ArtSell recorded 3,161 auction lots from 22 auction houses, of which 2,206 sold (70% sell-through). The 2,206 sales with a published price total $44,467,545, with a median of $3,173 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Zeng Fanzhi, “Mask Series”, at $1,756,154 (Ravenel). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Lots offered
3,161
22 houses
Sold
2,206
70% sell-through
Total
$44M
2,206 priced sales
Median
$3.2k
priced sales
Top sales
| # | Work | Artist | House · date | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mask Series, 2001 | Zeng Fanzhi | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $1,756,154 (NT$52,960,000) |
| 2 | Double Nude I 1982-83, 1982-83 | John Brack | Menzies · Dec 8, 2011 | $1,487,019 (A$1,442,727) |
| 3 | Woman, 2002 | Zeng Fanzhi | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $1,347,622 (NT$40,640,000) |
| 4 | 5.6.54 (Herbes), 1954 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $1,273,344 (NT$38,400,000) |
| 5 | Hillside II 1968, 1968 | Fred Williams | Menzies · Dec 8, 2011 | $1,054,125 (A$1,022,727) |
| 6 | Herbst in Klotzsche. Verso: Das eingeschlafene Modell II, 1920 | Conrad Felixmüller | Ketterer Kunst · Dec 10, 2011 | $816,424 (€610,000) |
| 7 | 17.9.80, 1980 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $756,048 (NT$22,800,000) |
| 8 | Rime bleue (Rhyme in Blue), 1997 | Chu Teh-chun | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $676,464 (NT$20,400,000) |
| 9 | Taichi Series - Shadow Boxing, 1998 | Ju Ming | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $557,088 (NT$16,800,000) |
| 10 | Murnauer Landschaft (Staffelsee), 1924 | Gabriele Münter | Ketterer Kunst · Dec 10, 2011 | $522,511 (€390,400) |
| 11 | Bride and Bridegroom with Rainbow 1960, 1960 | Arthur Boyd | Menzies · Dec 8, 2011 | $522,284 (A$506,727) |
| 12 | 11.10.78, 1978 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $457,608 (NT$13,800,000) |
| 13 | The Cornfield 1959, 1959 | John Perceval | Menzies · Dec 8, 2011 | $448,073 (A$434,727) |
| 14 | Composition V 1969, 1969 | Ian Fairweather | Menzies · Dec 8, 2011 | $435,705 (A$422,727) |
| 15 | Northeast Coast, Taiwan, 1973 | Liāu Kè-chhun | Ravenel · Dec 4, 2011 | $417,816 (NT$12,600,000) |
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 | John Chamberlain American | $275,000 | 1 | Untitled — $275,000 |
| 2 | Lyonel Feininger American | $266,520 | 5 | Das Bild der drei Klexe — $127,362 |
| 3 | Andy Warhol American | $248,065 | 7 | Shoes — $81,250 |
| 4 | Isamu Noguchi American | $198,750 | 4 | Chess Table — $187,500 |
| 5 | Edward Cucuel American | $191,202 | 2 | Zwei sitzende Mädchen am Starnberger See (Two Girls sitting at Lake Starnberg) — $130,786 |
| 6 | Otto Dix American | $153,488 | 1 | Frühling auf der Höri mit Blick auf Steckborn — $153,488 |
| 7 | Chihung Yang American | $123,355 | 3 | Breaking the Waves — $59,688 |
| 8 | Sam Francis American | $109,535 | 6 | From Tokyo #3 — $45,720 |
| 9 | Robert Rauschenberg American | $85,538 | 4 | Sling Shots Lit #6 — $68,750 |
| 10 | Dale Chihuly American | $84,375 | 1 | Gilded Opal and Deep Garnet Chandelier — $84,375 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zao Wou-ki French | $2,586,480 | 4 | 5.6.54 (Herbes) — $1,273,344 |
| 2 | Gabriele Münter German | $1,147,062 | 5 | Murnauer Landschaft (Staffelsee) — $522,511 |
| 3 | Conrad Felixmüller German | $909,744 | 5 | Herbst in Klotzsche. Verso: Das eingeschlafene Modell II — $816,424 |
| 4 | Emil Schumacher German | $877,392 | 5 | Siles — $310,618 |
| 5 | Emil Nolde German | $742,852 | 5 | Marschlandschaft — $228,599 |
| 6 | Arthur Boyd British | $546,317 | 2 | Bride and Bridegroom with Rainbow 1960 — $522,284 |
| 7 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $541,483 | 22 | Tanagra — $245,225 |
| 8 | Max Beckmann German | $422,638 | 8 | Gruppenbildnis Edenbar — $138,792 |
| 9 | Christian Rohlfs German | $422,197 | 8 | Soest — $269,420 |
| 10 | Max Liebermann German | $395,039 | 6 | Dorfhäuser mit Sonnenblumen — $146,956 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeng Fanzhi | Mask Series Ravenel | $1,756,154 | $1,346,637 (9 earlier) |
| Fred Williams | Hillside II 1968 Menzies | $1,054,125 | $755,941 (23 earlier) |
| Conrad Felixmüller | Herbst in Klotzsche. Verso: Das eingeschlafene Modell II Ketterer Kunst | $816,424 | $298,962 (87 earlier) |
| Horst Antes | Figur Flora Ketterer Kunst | $375,555 | $195,781 (110 earlier) |
| Aristide Maillol | La montagne, 1er etat (petit modele) Menzies | $349,126 | $116,077 (23 earlier) |
| Kees van Dongen | Deauville, Les Tentes 1956 Menzies | $324,389 | $103,330 (17 earlier) |
| John Chamberlain | Untitled Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $275,000 | $53,100 (10 earlier) |
| Heinz Mack | Schwarzes Sternbild. Chromatische Konstellation (Black constellation. Chromatic constellation) Lempertz | $245,225 | $220,253 (80 earlier) |
| Isamu Noguchi | Chess Table Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $187,500 | $62,400 (20 earlier) |
| Tamara Łempicka | RUDOWŁOSA Agra-Art | $135,483 | $39,564 (3 earlier) |
| Erich Heckel | Blick auf die Förde Ketterer Kunst | $127,362 | $100,649 (261 earlier) |
| Martin und Brigitte Matschinsky-Denninghoff | Große Vierung Ketterer Kunst | $114,299 | $37,530 (4 earlier) |
| Bernard Schultze | Phönix Lempertz | $104,629 | $80,055 (124 earlier) |
| Gertrud and Otto Natzler | Monumental vase Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $93,750 | $39,813 (32 earlier) |
| Roman Opałka | Opalka 1965/1-∞ Detail-1321805-1324784 Lempertz | $93,185 | $39,943 (70 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Pananti (386)Lempertz (380)Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (369)Whyte's (311)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (235)Ketterer Kunst (224)Art+Object (168)James D. Julia (167)SOGA (150)Ravenel (142)Agra-Art (136)Menzies (132)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (110)Leonard Joel (84)Toovey's (55)Sloans & Kenyon (49)Clarke Auction Gallery (29)Levis Fine Art Auctions (12)im Kinsky (10)Bonhams (8)Bolsa de Arte (3)Artmark (1)