Art auction market report: March 2017
In March 2017, ArtSell recorded 4,262 auction lots from 24 auction houses, of which 3,332 sold (78% sell-through). The 3,332 sales with a published price total $40,099,940, with a median of $1,165 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Rudolf Stingel, “Untitled (Plan B)”, at $3,588,343 (Phillips). 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 | Rudolf Stingel American | $4,355,787 | 3 | Untitled (Plan B) — $3,588,343 |
| 2 | Christopher Wool American | $1,466,244 | 1 | Untitled — $1,466,244 |
| 3 | George Condo American | $697,754 | 2 | Jean-Louis' Girlfriend — $472,868 |
| 4 | Josef Albers German | $523,390 | 2 | Study for Homage to the Square: Wet and Dry — $517,140 |
| 5 | Robert Longo American | $509,368 | 5 | Untitled (Jules) — $283,235 |
| 6 | Keith Haring American | $477,030 | 3 | Untitled #3 — $362,500 |
| 7 | Ed Ruscha American | $399,158 | 6 | Zip Rooster — $212,500 |
| 8 | Alma Thomas British | $387,500 | 1 | Spring Flowers in Washington D.C. — $387,500 |
| 9 | Wade Guyton American | $385,726 | 1 | Untitled — $385,726 |
| 10 | Barbara Kruger American | $327,319 | 1 | Untitled (Our Time is Your Money) — $327,319 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miquel Barceló Spanish | $4,090,882 | 2 | Muletero — $3,588,343 |
| 2 | Józef Chełmoński Polish | $849,663 | 2 | JESIEŃ — $456,893 |
| 3 | Damien Hirst British | $546,343 | 1 | Beautiful Mider Intense Cathartic Painting (with Extra Inner Beauty) — $546,343 |
| 4 | Erik Bulatov Russian | $517,140 | 1 | Happy New Year — $517,140 |
| 5 | Bernd and Hilla Becher German | $405,146 | 2 | Water Towers — $356,522 |
| 6 | Andreas Gursky German | $378,389 | 2 | Jumeirah Palm — $341,921 |
| 7 | Günther Förg German | $324,469 | 2 | Untitled — $210,506 |
| 8 | Ion Țuculescu Romanian | $242,470 | 5 | Interior la Mangalia — $75,236 |
| 9 | Glenn Brown British | $239,710 | 1 | Saturday Night Fever — $239,710 |
| 10 | Józef Brandt Polish | $229,939 | 1 | PRZEWODNIK, przed lub 1910 — $229,939 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miquel Barceló | Muletero Phillips | $3,588,343 | $23,475 (6 earlier) |
| Takashi Murakami | An Homage to Monopink, 1960 E Phillips | $809,172 | $758,152 (258 earlier) |
| Józef Chełmoński | JESIEŃ Agra-Art | $456,893 | $273,234 (18 earlier) |
| Alma Thomas | Spring Flowers in Washington D.C. Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $387,500 | $52,000 (11 earlier) |
| Bernd and Hilla Becher | Water Towers Phillips | $356,522 | $156,250 (5 earlier) |
| Robert Longo | Untitled (Jules) Phillips | $283,235 | $279,620 (123 earlier) |
| Jeff Elrod | Hey Moon Phillips | $254,060 | $233,000 (7 earlier) |
| Steven Parrino | Squeaky Fromme Phillips | $195,905 | $116,503 (6 earlier) |
| Elisabeth Frink | Tribute II Phillips | $195,905 | $23,745 (19 earlier) |
| Francis Alÿs | Cityscapes - (con sabana), (Triptych: Francis - Juan Garcia - Emilio Rivera) Phillips | $181,303 | $161,000 (29 earlier) |
| Mona Hatoum | Untitled (wheelchair) Phillips | $181,124 | $100,000 (8 earlier) |
| Jean Paul Riopelle | Kenavo Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $170,000 | $166,664 (27 earlier) |
| Elmgreen & Dragset | Tanya! Tanya! Tanya! Phillips | $129,158 | $67,279 (9 earlier) |
| Louis-Léopold Boilly | Der kindliche Schrecken. Mitte 1790er Jahre Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden | $116,694 | $42,488 (4 earlier) |
| Michel Majerus | MoM Block nr. 27 Phillips | $113,963 | $110,017 (19 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (502)im Kinsky (404)Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (341)Artmark (339)León Gallery (258)Brunk Auctions (244)Agra-Art (238)Art+Object (216)Phillips (201)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (189)Morgan O'Driscoll (175)Lempertz (172)Clarke Auction Gallery (163)Crocker Farm (158)Bonhams (152)SOGA (125)Levis Fine Art Auctions (83)Leonard Joel (69)Jackson's International Auctioneers (61)Toovey's (57)Polswiss Art (52)Wright (37)Cottone Auctions (22)Maison Bibelot (4)