Art auction market report: December 2015
In December 2015, ArtSell recorded 3,991 auction lots from 26 auction houses, of which 2,894 sold (73% sell-through). The 2,894 sales with a published price total $38,966,315, with a median of $1,513 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Zao Wou-ki, “24.09.99”, at $2,129,075 (Ravenel). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Top sales
| # | Work | Artist | House · date | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24.09.99, 1999 | Zao Wou-ki | Ravenel · Dec 6, 2015 | $2,129,075 (NT$69,760,000) |
| 2 | Adagio 1967-69, 1967-69 | John Brack | Menzies · Dec 10, 2015 | $671,500 (A$920,455) |
| 3 | Landscape, 2006 | Zeng Fanzhi | Ravenel · Dec 6, 2015 | $659,232 (NT$21,600,000) |
| 4 | Universe in My Mind – 2<br />(quadriptych), 1998 | Liu Guosong | Ravenel · Dec 6, 2015 | $614,978 (NT$20,150,000) |
| 5 | Composition No. 535, 1973 | Chu Teh-chun | Ravenel · Dec 6, 2015 | $549,360 (NT$18,000,000) |
| 6 | Torse Fruit | Jean Arp | Menzies · Dec 10, 2015 | $537,200 (A$736,364) |
| 7 | Spring Morning 1914, 1914 | Frederick McCubbin | Menzies · Dec 10, 2015 | $537,200 (A$736,364) |
| 8 | Four Woman | Anita Magsaysay-Ho | León Gallery · Dec 5, 2015 | $508,571 (₱23,944,000) |
| 9 | Yang-min Mountains, 2007-2008 | Yeh Tzu Chi | Ravenel · Dec 6, 2015 | $476,112 (NT$15,600,000) |
| 10 | Level Crossing 1997, 1997 | Jeffrey Smart | Menzies · Dec 10, 2015 | $447,666 (A$613,636) |
| 11 | In memorial | Ronald Ventura | León Gallery · Dec 5, 2015 | $347,316 (₱16,352,000) |
| 12 | Mot skogen I | Edvard Munch | Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Dec 9, 2015 | $332,688 (NOK 2,900,000) |
| 13 | PODAREK ŚLUBNY, 1890 | Władysław Czachórski | Agra-Art · Dec 6, 2015 | $293,581 (PLN 1,161,500) |
| 14 | Unique ceiling light, from the Franca and Guglielmo Minola House, Turin, circa 1944-1946 | Carlo Mollino | Phillips · Dec 15, 2015 | $293,000 |
| 15 | Brosjen. Eva Mudocci | Edvard Munch | Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner · Dec 9, 2015 | $286,800 (NOK 2,500,000) |
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 | Nate Lowman American | $253,646 | 1 | Red Maxima — $253,646 |
| 2 | Walasse Ting American | $143,566 | 2 | Love Like Running Water — $131,846 |
| 3 | Jeff Elrod American | $139,573 | 1 | Big Blue — $139,573 |
| 4 | George Chann American | $95,222 | 1 | Wordplay — $95,222 |
| 5 | Andy Warhol American | $95,095 | 4 | How to Tell You’re Having a Heart Attack — $52,812 |
| 6 | Rudolf Stingel American | $94,306 | 1 | Untitled — $94,306 |
| 7 | David Salle American | $94,306 | 1 | Beastiary — $94,306 |
| 8 | Jeff Koons American | $85,819 | 2 | Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus (Magenta) — $67,901 |
| 9 | Dan Colen American | $66,014 | 1 | OH! — $66,014 |
| 10 | Katherine Bernhardt American | $56,584 | 1 | Hawaiian Punch — $56,584 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edvard Munch Norwegian | $2,332,946 | 45 | Mot skogen I — $332,688 |
| 2 | Zao Wou-ki French | $2,132,371 | 2 | 24.09.99 — $2,129,075 |
| 3 | Jean Arp French | $537,200 | 1 | Torse Fruit — $537,200 |
| 4 | Jack Butler Yeats Irish | $504,073 | 4 | Untitled — $233,200 |
| 5 | Gio Ponti Italian | $391,250 | 9 | Pair of chandeliers — $125,000 |
| 6 | Alberto Giacometti Swiss | $338,300 | 2 | Tête de Femme Floor Lamp — $225,800 |
| 7 | Jacek Malczewski Polish | $304,887 | 5 | NIEŚMIERTELNOŚĆ — $123,536 |
| 8 | Władysław Czachórski Polish | $293,581 | 1 | PODAREK ŚLUBNY — $293,581 |
| 9 | Carlo Mollino Italian | $293,000 | 1 | Unique ceiling light, from the Franca and Guglielmo Minola House, Turin — $293,000 |
| 10 | Józef Chełmoński Polish | $273,234 | 1 | ZACHÓD SŁOŃCA NA BŁOTACH — $273,234 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liu Guosong | Universe in My Mind – 2<br />(quadriptych) Ravenel | $614,978 | $327,726 (31 earlier) |
| Yeh Tzu Chi | Yang-min Mountains Ravenel | $476,112 | $462,672 (38 earlier) |
| Józef Chełmoński | ZACHÓD SŁOŃCA NA BŁOTACH Agra-Art | $273,234 | $204,737 (13 earlier) |
| Ron Arad | Prototype "D-Sofa" Phillips | $257,000 | $209,000 (22 earlier) |
| George Nakashima | "Conoid" dining table Phillips | $155,000 | $90,000 (237 earlier) |
| Jigger Cruz | Blares of the Opposite León Gallery | $142,648 | $74,009 (3 earlier) |
| Edward William Godwin | Corner cabinet Phillips | $125,000 | $75,000 (27 earlier) |
| Romulo Olazo | Diaphanous B-LXXVII León Gallery | $124,042 | $79,296 (26 earlier) |
| Lao Lianben | Wood Void León Gallery | $109,157 | $82,601 (10 earlier) |
| Pietro Chiesa | Rare chest of drawers Phillips | $106,250 | $103,702 (23 earlier) |
| Geraldine Javier | Morning Doesn't Always Mean Sunshine León Gallery | $89,310 | $58,407 (5 earlier) |
| William John Leech | Untitled deVeres | $59,360 | $14,171 (3 earlier) |
| Jan Tarasin | WYLĘGARNIA PRZEDMIOTÓW III Polswiss Art | $52,672 | $50,037 (228 earlier) |
| Joven Mansit | Trinidad León Gallery | $44,655 | $30,975 (5 earlier) |
| Romeo Tabuena | Musicians León Gallery | $42,174 | $21,239 (19 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Phillips (467)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (378)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (291)Pananti (276)Art+Object (256)Artmark (246)Agra-Art (228)Bonhams (217)León Gallery (197)Ravenel (183)Menzies (157)Morgan O'Driscoll (151)Leonard Joel (144)SOGA (120)Levis Fine Art Auctions (113)Toovey's (112)deVeres (107)Sloans & Kenyon (66)Polswiss Art (63)Lempertz (46)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (45)Clarke Auction Gallery (42)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (40)Brunk Auctions (28)Capitolium Art (17)Van Ham (1)