Art auction market report: November 2012
In November 2012, ArtSell recorded 3,231 auction lots from 23 auction houses, of which 2,540 sold (79% sell-through). The 2,540 sales with a published price total $62,643,923, with a median of $3,241 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Chu Teh-chun, “Lumière éternelle (diptych)”, at $2,394,797 (Ravenel). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Top sales
| # | Work | Artist | House · date | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lumière éternelle (diptych), 2003-2004 | Chu Teh-chun | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $2,394,797 (HK$18,560,000) |
| 2 | 05.06.53 - Composition bistre, noire, 1953 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $2,250,283 (HK$17,440,000) |
| 3 | Zwei Mädchen“ („Zwei Mädchenakte in Dreiviertelfigur“), Um 1924 | Otto Mueller | Grisebach · Nov 29, 2012 | $1,854,244 (€1,427,000) |
| 4 | I, We, 2005 | Zeng Fanzhi | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $1,383,202 (HK$10,720,000) |
| 5 | THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST | Johann König | Lempertz · Nov 18, 2012 | $1,111,364 (€872,000) |
| 6 | Sonnenaufgang, 1913 | Otto Dix | Grisebach · Nov 29, 2012 | $1,030,424 (€793,000) |
| 7 | Stone Series - Stone and Tree, 1993 | Zhou Chunya | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $1,006,434 (HK$7,800,000) |
| 8 | Pumpkin, 1990 | Yayoi Kusama | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $1,006,434 (HK$7,800,000) |
| 9 | Friedrich der Große, 1986 | Andy Warhol | Grisebach · Nov 29, 2012 | $951,161 (€732,000) |
| 10 | Beauty is Like a Fragrant Flower, 2011 | Zhou Chunya | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $929,016 (HK$7,200,000) |
| 11 | Zwei bärtige Männer (Apostel), Um 1931 | Emil Nolde | Grisebach · Nov 29, 2012 | $871,897 (€671,000) |
| 12 | Frauen am Meer, 1919 | Karl Schmidt-Rottluff | Grisebach · Nov 29, 2012 | $760,929 (€585,600) |
| 13 | Little Caldwell's Island, 1940 | Andrew Wyeth | Bonhams · Nov 28, 2012 | $722,500 |
| 14 | Pumpkin, 2010 | Yayoi Kusama | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $681,278 (HK$5,280,000) |
| 15 | Chinese Girl on the Dish, 1993 | Yoshitomo Nara | Ravenel · Nov 25, 2012 | $557,410 (HK$4,320,000) |
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 | $1,315,724 | 5 | Sonnenaufgang — $1,030,424 |
| 2 | Andy Warhol American | $1,236,992 | 4 | Friedrich der Große — $951,161 |
| 3 | Andrew Wyeth American | $905,000 | 2 | Little Caldwell's Island — $722,500 |
| 4 | Jamie Wyeth American | $458,500 | 1 | The Warning — $458,500 |
| 5 | George Rickey American | $214,011 | 1 | Two Up – One Down — $214,011 |
| 6 | Lyonel Feininger American | $199,701 | 3 | Sardinen-Fischer II — $129,992 |
| 7 | David Johnson American | $194,500 | 1 | On the Wallkill River, Ulster County, New York — $194,500 |
| 8 | George Grosz German | $169,519 | 4 | Blinder Bettler — $76,046 |
| 9 | Roy Lichtenstein American | $132,288 | 2 | Reflections on Conversation — $123,575 |
| 10 | Jenny Holzer American | $126,743 | 1 | Selection from Survival: People look like... — $126,743 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zao Wou-ki French | $2,250,283 | 1 | 05.06.53 - Composition bistre, noire — $2,250,283 |
| 2 | Karl Schmidt-Rottluff German | $1,635,894 | 8 | Frauen am Meer — $760,929 |
| 3 | Emil Nolde German | $1,315,713 | 9 | Zwei bärtige Männer (Apostel) — $871,897 |
| 4 | Johann König German | $1,111,364 | 1 | THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST — $1,111,364 |
| 5 | Max Liebermann German | $1,081,888 | 5 | Holländisches Hirtenmädchen — $377,448 |
| 6 | Max Pechstein German | $1,066,022 | 6 | Sonnenuntergang an der See — $554,844 |
| 7 | Günther Uecker German | $729,067 | 3 | Hommage à Fontana IV — $348,759 |
| 8 | Karl Hofer Swiss | $638,747 | 3 | Mädchen sich kämmend — $450,216 |
| 9 | Jack Butler Yeats Irish | $625,274 | 9 | Untitled — $291,623 |
| 10 | Edvard Munch Norwegian | $556,043 | 15 | Brosjen. Eva Mudocci — $282,704 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otto Mueller | Zwei Mädchen“ („Zwei Mädchenakte in Dreiviertelfigur“) Grisebach | $1,854,244 | $472,413 (138 earlier) |
| Otto Dix | Sonnenaufgang Grisebach | $1,030,424 | $400,276 (252 earlier) |
| Zhou Chunya | Stone Series - Stone and Tree Ravenel | $1,006,434 | $615,840 (72 earlier) |
| Yayoi Kusama | Pumpkin Ravenel | $1,006,434 | $772,980 (21 earlier) |
| Andy Warhol | Friedrich der Große Grisebach | $951,161 | $398,547 (354 earlier) |
| Karl Schmidt-Rottluff | Frauen am Meer Grisebach | $760,929 | $652,602 (264 earlier) |
| Andrew Wyeth | Little Caldwell's Island Bonhams | $722,500 | $291,200 (6 earlier) |
| Yoshitomo Nara | Chinese Girl on the Dish Ravenel | $557,410 | $185,515 (15 earlier) |
| Alexis Preller | Grand Mapogga III Strauss & Co | $537,267 | $367,582 (23 earlier) |
| Jamie Wyeth | The Warning Bonhams | $458,500 | $168,000 (4 earlier) |
| Lotte Laserstein | Rückenakt (Traute Rose) Grisebach | $443,875 | $169,475 (5 earlier) |
| Friedensreich Hundertwasser | The Sailor Grisebach | $380,464 | $226,243 (314 earlier) |
| Walter Battiss | African Figures Strauss & Co | $294,217 | $69,948 (58 earlier) |
| Pablo Picasso | Portrait de Femme au chapeau à pompons et au corsage imprimé Grisebach | $269,496 | $253,232 (664 earlier) |
| Emily Carr | Kitseukla Levis Fine Art Auctions | $235,217 | $23,561 (5 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Grisebach (504)Bonhams (313)Levis Fine Art Auctions (284)Jackson's International Auctioneers (282)Lempertz (249)Strauss & Co (224)Whyte's (219)Sloans & Kenyon (212)Leonard Joel (150)Ketterer Kunst (108)Art+Object (105)Crocker Farm (91)deVeres (76)Agra-Art (71)Smith & Singer (65)Clarke Auction Gallery (64)SOGA (63)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (56)Ravenel (43)Toovey's (36)Van Ham (12)im Kinsky (3)Cottone Auctions (1)