Art auction market report: December 2016

In December 2016, ArtSell recorded 5,370 auction lots from 28 auction houses, of which 4,248 sold (79% sell-through). The 4,248 sales with a published price total $100,697,887, with a median of $4,036 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Lyonel Feininger, “Gelbe Gasse“ (auch „Gasse I“, „Yellow Lane“)”, at $3,746,018 (Grisebach). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.

Lots offered

5,370

28 houses

Sold

4,248

79% sell-through

Total

$101M

4,248 priced sales

Median

$4k

priced sales

Top sales

#	Work	Artist	House · date	Price
1	Gelbe Gasse“ (auch „Gasse I“, „Yellow Lane“), 1932	Lyonel Feininger	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$3,746,018 (€3,525,000)
2	Stilleben mit brennender Kerze, 1921	Max Beckmann	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$3,134,965 (€2,950,000)
3	Mädchen in Südwester, 1912	Ernst Ludwig Kirchner	Lempertz · Dec 2, 2016	$1,677,179 (€1,576,000)
4	23.11.83, 1983	Zao Wou-ki	Ravenel · Dec 4, 2016	$1,659,766 (NT$52,960,000)
5	Scenery of the West Lake Baoshi Mountain, 1928	Tan Teng-pho	Ravenel · Dec 4, 2016	$1,554,464 (NT$49,600,000)
6	18.02.2002, 2002	Zao Wou-ki	Ravenel · Dec 4, 2016	$1,484,262 (NT$47,360,000)
7	Jeux Immatériels, 1993	Chu Teh-chun	Ravenel · Dec 4, 2016	$1,343,859 (NT$42,880,000)
8	Bewegte See II (Zwei Segler aneinander), 1914	Emil Nolde	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$1,301,808 (€1,225,000)
9	Joseph Beuys, 1980	Andy Warhol	Grisebach · Dec 2, 2016	$1,227,023 (€1,153,000)
10	Königskerzen, 1915	Emil Nolde	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$1,046,760 (€985,000)
11	Leuchtende Sonnenblumen, 1950	Emil Nolde	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$1,046,760 (€985,000)
12	Burg auf dem Riff, 1927	Paul Klee	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$944,740 (€889,000)
13	Haus Nr. 9, 1921	Anton Räderscheidt	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$919,236 (€865,000)
14	La pensée visible, 1961	René Magritte	Grisebach · Dec 1, 2016	$829,969 (€781,000)
15	La Inocencia	Félix Resurrección Hidalgo	León Gallery · Dec 3, 2016	$822,914 (₱40,880,000)

Top American artists

Ranked by total of priced sales in the month; region from the artist’s recorded nationality.

Top American artists, December 2016
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Lyonel Feininger American	$4,487,300	20	Gelbe Gasse“ (auch „Gasse I“, „Yellow Lane“) — $3,746,018
2	Andy Warhol American	$2,104,816	37	Joseph Beuys — $1,227,023
3	Sam Francis American	$1,393,086	9	Over orange (SF58-058) — $501,553
4	Josef Albers German	$1,176,535	11	Homage to the Square — $719,399
5	Helen Frankenthaler American	$665,438	2	Marchioness — $659,938
6	George Grosz German	$603,986	6	Soirée — $475,059
7	Walasse Ting American	$447,535	5	Mia & Alex — $319,668
8	Otto Dix American	$364,780	14	Schützengraben — $92,986
9	Robert Indiana American	$358,234	2	LOVE — $356,507
10	Isamu Noguchi American	$225,000	1	Prototype chair, for William A.M. Burden, Northeast Harbor, Maine — $225,000

Top European artists

Top European artists, December 2016
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Emil Nolde German	$5,919,738	24	Bewegte See II (Zwei Segler aneinander) — $1,301,808
2	Max Beckmann German	$3,319,510	8	Stilleben mit brennender Kerze — $3,134,965
3	Zao Wou-ki French	$3,183,882	16	23.11.83 — $1,659,766
4	Ernst Ludwig Kirchner German	$2,107,881	17	Mädchen in Südwester — $1,677,179
5	Gerhard Richter German	$1,971,434	41	Konzeptblatt zu „Farbfelder. 6 Anordnungen von 1260 Farben“ / Probedruck zu „Farbfelder. 6 Anordnungen von 1260 Farben“ / Mappe zu „Farbfelder. 6 Anordnungen von 1260 Farben“. — $419,029
6	Max Liebermann German	$1,809,424	18	Studie zum ,Restaurationsgarten in Leiden‘ — $766,207
7	Gotthard Graubner German	$1,505,685	12	Farbraumkörper I — $617,236
8	Max Pechstein German	$1,310,519	17	Wintermorgen — $567,546
9	René Magritte Belgian	$1,259,039	3	La pensée visible — $829,969
10	Paul Klee Swiss	$1,152,562	4	Burg auf dem Riff — $944,740

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
Lyonel Feininger	Gelbe Gasse“ (auch „Gasse I“, „Yellow Lane“) Grisebach	$3,746,018	$1,948,720 (387 earlier)
Tan Teng-pho	Scenery of the West Lake Baoshi Mountain Ravenel	$1,554,464	$520,260 (5 earlier)
Anton Räderscheidt	Haus Nr. 9 Grisebach	$919,236	$363,610 (39 earlier)
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo	La Inocencia León Gallery	$822,914	$95,827 (3 earlier)
Josef Albers	Homage to the Square Lempertz	$719,399	$526,000 (147 earlier)
Gotthard Graubner	Farbraumkörper I Lempertz	$617,236	$177,480 (96 earlier)
Fritz Koenig	Große Flora D Lempertz	$604,466	$141,530 (38 earlier)
Zdeněk Sýkora	Linie Nr. 3 (100 lines) Lempertz	$475,059	$235,126 (11 earlier)
George Grosz	Soirée Lempertz	$475,059	$442,908 (189 earlier)
Ferdynand Ruszczyc	Młyn zimą Polswiss Art	$443,482	$51,024 (16 earlier)
Hernando R. Ocampo	55-G The Wall León Gallery	$352,678	$237,887 (23 earlier)
Nicolae Grigorescu	Ţărăncuţe (De la fântână) Artmark	$331,648	$79,611 (6 earlier)
Andrzej Wróblewski	AUTOPORTRET Polswiss Art	$311,636	$38,559 (16 earlier)
Paul Dupré-Lafon	Sideboard Phillips	$280,000	$32,500 (5 earlier)
Pierre Jeanneret	Cabinet, from the Henri Ingber Residence, Paris Phillips	$237,500	$214,726 (66 earlier)

Auction houses this month

Lempertz (603)Ketterer Kunst (582)Phillips (527)Grisebach (472)Van Ham (414)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (336)Artmark (281)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (245)Pananti (241)Whyte's (152)Ravenel (147)Morgan O'Driscoll (145)León Gallery (141)Levis Fine Art Auctions (136)Agra-Art (133)SOGA (119)Sloans & Kenyon (118)Art+Object (100)Clarke Auction Gallery (88)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (77)Bonhams (74)Toovey's (58)Polswiss Art (57)Capitolium Art (44)Bolsa de Arte (40)Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner (20)Brunk Auctions (19)Leonard Joel (1)