Art auction market report: April 2012
In April 2012, ArtSell recorded 2,119 auction lots from 15 auction houses, of which 1,921 sold (91% sell-through). The 1,921 sales with a published price total $8,324,632, with a median of $1,572 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Jesús Rafael Soto, “Mural a Tres Columnas”, at $410,500 (Wright). 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 | Louise Nevelson American | $270,688 | 3 | untitled — $266,500 |
| 2 | Otto Dix American | $80,128 | 3 | Am Spiegel — $50,032 |
| 3 | Lyonel Feininger American | $62,838 | 4 | Das Tor — $21,497 |
| 4 | Futura 2000 American | $50,000 | 1 | Dangerous Dilemma — $50,000 |
| 5 | Sam Francis American | $44,130 | 3 | Cosmir — $37,500 |
| 6 | Roy Lichtenstein American | $43,115 | 5 | Whaam! — $21,464 |
| 7 | Frank Stella American | $40,625 | 2 | Polar Co-Ordinate — $37,500 |
| 8 | Jack Goldstein American | $40,000 | 1 | untitled — $40,000 |
| 9 | Louis Comfort Tiffany American | $36,980 | 1 | Untitled — $36,980 |
| 10 | Andy Warhol American | $30,398 | 9 | Jacqueline Kennedy I (Jackie I) — $8,268 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferdinand Max Bredt German | $132,203 | 1 | Muße der Odalisken — $132,203 |
| 2 | Käthe Kollwitz German | $120,495 | 12 | Zwei miteinander ringende Männer — $83,925 |
| 3 | Ernst Wilhelm Nay German | $99,945 | 5 | Lofoten — $64,558 |
| 4 | Marc Chagall Belarusian | $98,873 | 10 | Das Lied der Lieder — $24,804 |
| 5 | Joan Miró Spanish | $98,330 | 14 | Composition avec etoile — $16,536 |
| 6 | Salvador Dalí Spanish | $82,683 | 11 | Ohne Titel — $33,073 |
| 7 | Friedensreich Hundertwasser Austrian | $67,964 | 12 | Look at it on a rainy day — $13,229 |
| 8 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $65,765 | 10 | Minotaure aveugle guidé par une petite fille aux fleurs — $14,056 |
| 9 | Cuno Amiet Swiss | $59,716 | 1 | Brustbild einer Dame (Irene) — $59,716 |
| 10 | Victor Vasarely French | $54,100 | 6 | Composition N8 — $19,017 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesús Rafael Soto | Mural a Tres Columnas Wright | $410,500 | $237,135 (40 earlier) |
| Louise Nevelson | untitled Wright | $266,500 | $43,700 (21 earlier) |
| Michael Parekōwhai | Atarangi Art+Object | $65,326 | $30,813 (36 earlier) |
| Futura 2000 | Dangerous Dilemma Wright | $50,000 | $21,875 (9 earlier) |
| Vladimir Kagan | sofa Wright | $40,000 | $33,600 (47 earlier) |
| Henri-Edmond Cross | Skabiosen Ketterer Kunst | $37,993 | $11,127 (3 earlier) |
| Frank Stella | Polar Co-Ordinate Wright | $37,500 | $15,303 (37 earlier) |
| Ants Laikmaa | Talumaastik rukkihakkidega HAUS Galerii | $35,618 | $12,829 (10 earlier) |
| Julian Dashper | Untitled (Receding and Projecting Paintings) Art+Object | $35,462 | $15,283 (21 earlier) |
| Yaacov Agam | Strocture a Double Metamorphose Wright | $33,750 | $18,750 (20 earlier) |
| Lucas Cranach d.Ã. | Werkstatt oder Umkreis - Kreuzigungsgruppe Ketterer Kunst | $33,038 | $5,274 (3 earlier) |
| Gabriella Crespi | coffee table Wright | $31,250 | $10,200 (3 earlier) |
| Franz Hagenauer | Untitled im Kinsky | $26,894 | $6,022 (6 earlier) |
| Piet van der Hem | Wintervacantie in de Tropen met de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatsch. Van Sabben Poster Auctions | $25,329 | $6,085 (8 earlier) |
| Philip and Kelvin Laverne | dining table Wright | $25,000 | $12,000 (4 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Ketterer Kunst (590)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (354)Levis Fine Art Auctions (253)Wright (233)Bonhams (227)Art+Object (143)Twents Veilinghuis (78)Clarke Auction Gallery (58)Agra-Art (56)Toovey's (56)SOGA (36)HAUS Galerii (29)im Kinsky (3)Artmark (2)Bolsa de Arte (1)