Art auction market report: September 2012
In September 2012, ArtSell recorded 2,029 auction lots from 18 auction houses, of which 1,497 sold (74% sell-through). The 1,497 sales with a published price total $14,849,840, with a median of $1,241 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Brett Whiteley, “Arkie Under the Shower 1986-87”, at $1,282,255 (Menzies). 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 | Harry Bertoia American | $131,100 | 3 | untitled (Dandelion) — $96,100 |
| 2 | Wendell Castle American | $82,450 | 5 | Coffee Table — $35,650 |
| 3 | Clement Meadmore Australian | $76,900 | 1 | Around and About — $76,900 |
| 4 | Phillip Lloyd Powell American | $51,250 | 1 | illuminated bar cabinet — $51,250 |
| 5 | Nan Goldin American | $29,688 | 4 | Smoky car, New Hampshire — $10,000 |
| 6 | Marcel Breuer American | $23,750 | 1 | Delfi table from the Ultrarazionale collection — $23,750 |
| 7 | Ralph Humphrey American | $20,000 | 1 | Okun — $20,000 |
| 8 | Sam Francis American | $19,375 | 2 | untitled — $11,875 |
| 9 | David Smith American | $18,750 | 1 | untitled (plate) — $18,750 |
| 10 | Frank Lloyd Wright American | $18,500 | 3 | lounge chair from the Dorothy Turkel House, Detroit — $12,500 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur Boyd British | $1,038,388 | 9 | Death of a Husband 1958 — $641,127 |
| 2 | Eugene von Guerard Austrian | $141,478 | 2 | Aborigines outside Melbourne 1855 — $141,048 |
| 3 | Nicolae Tonitza Romanian | $87,183 | 1 | Fetiţă în alb — $87,183 |
| 4 | Carl Gustav Carus German | $75,951 | 1 | Flügelschlagender Schwan im Schilf bei Mondlicht — $75,951 |
| 5 | Bernard Buffet French | $74,500 | 1 | Le Panier de Fruits — $74,500 |
| 6 | Charles Conder British | $56,419 | 1 | Brighton c1905 — $56,419 |
| 7 | Jan Hendrik Scheltema Dutch | $56,419 | 1 | Cattle Crossing 1891 — $56,419 |
| 8 | M. C. Escher Dutch | $47,000 | 3 | Three Spheres Ii — $18,000 |
| 9 | Ettore Sottsass Italian | $41,626 | 7 | collection of four vessels — $10,000 |
| 10 | Ron Arad British | $37,500 | 3 | Sculptural stool — $22,500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick McCubbin | The Mountain Cottage 1915 Menzies | $897,578 | $161,987 (5 earlier) |
| Gordon Walters | Painting No 7 Art+Object | $358,817 | $194,302 (26 earlier) |
| Michael Smither | The Family in the Van Art+Object | $193,955 | $48,624 (23 earlier) |
| Michael Illingworth | As Adam and Eve Art+Object | $193,955 | $108,120 (8 earlier) |
| Don Binney | Vanishing Wellington Bird Art+Object | $164,862 | $66,524 (15 earlier) |
| Robin White | White's Place, Raglan 1960 - 1970 Art+Object | $116,373 | $8,723 (21 earlier) |
| Peter Robinson | Boy Am I Scarred Eh Art+Object | $116,373 | $67,909 (36 earlier) |
| E. Phillips Fox | Manly Beach c1913 Menzies | $102,581 | $15,477 (3 earlier) |
| Milan Mrkusich | Monochrome Blue, 1977 Art+Object | $89,219 | $85,511 (8 earlier) |
| John Coburn | The Perfumed Garden 1976 Menzies | $76,935 | $69,572 (48 earlier) |
| Clement Meadmore | Around and About Wright | $76,900 | $64,487 (7 earlier) |
| Allen Maddox | Wanker Art+Object | $72,733 | $40,371 (27 earlier) |
| James Gleeson | Armed Crater 1987 Menzies | $58,984 | $7,126 (15 earlier) |
| Philip Clairmont | Large Hexagonal Table Art+Object | $58,186 | $28,674 (14 earlier) |
| Jan Hendrik Scheltema | Cattle Crossing 1891 Menzies | $56,419 | $10,799 (8 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Sloans & Kenyon (296)Wright (232)Art+Object (220)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (212)SOGA (144)Bonhams (143)Leonard Joel (135)Clarke Auction Gallery (106)Menzies (99)Jackson's International Auctioneers (81)Toovey's (79)Levis Fine Art Auctions (69)Agra-Art (67)Lempertz (64)Sworders (58)Cottone Auctions (21)Piguet Hôtel des Ventes (2)Artmark (1)