Art auction market report: January 2012
In January 2012, ArtSell recorded 399 auction lots from 7 auction houses, of which 318 sold (80% sell-through). The 318 sales with a published price total $255,277, with a median of $300 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Omar El Nagdi, “Le Chat Blanc.”, at $15,000 (Clarke Auction Gallery). 2 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 | Andy Warhol American | $16,600 | 3 | Campbell'S Soup I: Green Pea — $10,000 |
| 2 | Isaac Witkin American | $9,500 | 1 | Isaac Witkin, South African, 1936-2006 — $9,500 |
| 3 | Daniel LaRue Johnson American | $4,200 | 2 | The Hedy's Dream. — $2,500 |
| 4 | Robert Rauschenberg American | $4,100 | 2 | For Ferraro — $3,300 |
| 5 | Frank Gallo American | $2,000 | 2 | In museum quality Lucite & oak frame — $1,000 |
| 6 | Lamar Dodd American | $1,600 | 1 | Modernist Cityscape — $1,600 |
| 7 | Alexander Calder American | $1,300 | 1 | Pyramids. — $1,300 |
| 8 | Nicolai Cikovsky American | $1,300 | 1 | O/C Still Life with Lute — $1,300 |
| 9 | Benjamin Eggleston American | $850 | 1 | Benjamin Osro Eggleston, American, 1867 - 1937 — $850 |
| 10 | Emilio Sánchez Font Cuban | $700 | 1 | Emilio Sanchez, Cuban- American, 1921 - 1999 — $700 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jiří Kolář Czech | $19,500 | 4 | Charlie Chaplin — $8,000 |
| 2 | Gustav Wertheimer German | $9,000 | 1 | The Shipwreck of Agrippina — $9,000 |
| 3 | Eric Ravilious British | $7,423 | 1 | Untitled — $7,423 |
| 4 | Ben Nicholson British | $6,959 | 1 | Untitled — $6,959 |
| 5 | John Knapp-Fisher British | $6,217 | 3 | Untitled — $4,021 |
| 6 | Sarah Raphael British | $5,908 | 3 | Untitled — $2,474 |
| 7 | Emory Ladanyi Hungarian | $5,300 | 4 | Atonal. — $1,500 |
| 8 | Lesser Ury German | $4,400 | 1 | Untitled — $4,400 |
| 9 | Nicola Simbari Italian | $4,000 | 1 | Cote D'Azur. — $4,000 |
| 10 | Salvador Dalí Spanish | $3,255 | 6 | Apparition Cousine — $1,000 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Carr | Untitled Sworders | $959 | $845 (5 earlier) |
| Matt Bruce | Moorings at Maldon, Essex Toovey's | $249 | $136 (4 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Clarke Auction Gallery (102)Twents Veilinghuis (76)Sloans & Kenyon (67)Agra-Art (63)Toovey's (47)Sworders (43)Artmark (1)