Art auction market report: September 2017
In September 2017, ArtSell recorded 3,419 auction lots from 22 auction houses, of which 2,600 sold (76% sell-through). The 2,600 sales with a published price total $24,366,540, with a median of $1,375 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Diego Giacometti, “Pair of 'Têtes de Lionnes' armchairs, second version”, at $610,112 (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 | Kaws American | $882,500 | 14 | Untitled (BB2) — $106,250 |
| 2 | Josef Albers German | $485,000 | 1 | Study for Homage to the Square: Slate and Sky — $485,000 |
| 3 | Frederic Remington American | $400,000 | 1 | The Bronco Buster — $400,000 |
| 4 | Nicolai Fechin Russian | $340,000 | 2 | Hollyhocks — $220,000 |
| 5 | Mark Grotjahn American | $300,000 | 1 | Untitled (Black and Creamsicle) — $300,000 |
| 6 | Nicole Eisenman American | $228,750 | 3 | Foos Ball Trilogy: (i) Part I Sinking Ships; (ii) Part II Rescue; (iii) Part III Game Preparations — $175,000 |
| 7 | Kenneth Noland American | $197,000 | 1 | Damson — $197,000 |
| 8 | Julian Stanczak American | $120,000 | 3 | Tropical — $47,500 |
| 9 | Andy Warhol American | $107,750 | 4 | Paramount — $34,000 |
| 10 | Jane Peterson American | $100,000 | 1 | Fishing Boats, Gloucester, Massachusetts — $100,000 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diego Giacometti Swiss | $610,112 | 1 | Pair of 'Têtes de Lionnes' armchairs, second version — $610,112 |
| 2 | Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo Spanish | $597,035 | 3 | Saeta 44 — $344,443 |
| 3 | Max Ingrand French | $354,579 | 8 | Rare ceiling light, model no. 2243 — $220,025 |
| 4 | Gio Ponti Italian | $336,808 | 14 | Rare bookcase with integrated drinks cabinet — $59,238 |
| 5 | Henry Moore British | $261,057 | 3 | Maquette for Spindle Piece — $260,000 |
| 6 | Eugène Louis Boudin French | $240,000 | 1 | Fécamp, Le Bassin — $240,000 |
| 7 | Jean-Michel Frank French | $221,718 | 3 | Rare two-seater settee — $143,863 |
| 8 | François-Xavier Lalanne French | $181,098 | 2 | La carpe d’or — $143,863 |
| 9 | Charlotte Perriand French | $134,454 | 5 | ‘Tokyo’ bench — $64,315 |
| 10 | Juvenal Sansó Garrit Spanish | $112,518 | 4 | Untitled — $59,703 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Giacometti | Pair of 'Têtes de Lionnes' armchairs, second version Phillips | $610,112 | $407,292 (39 earlier) |
| Vicente Manansala | Pounding Rice León Gallery | $321,480 | $296,158 (56 earlier) |
| Eugène Louis Boudin | Fécamp, Le Bassin Brunk Auctions | $240,000 | $201,600 (9 earlier) |
| Max Ingrand | Rare ceiling light, model no. 2243 Phillips | $220,025 | $198,725 (78 earlier) |
| Andres Barrioquinto | Goodbye Horses León Gallery | $218,147 | $198,151 (8 earlier) |
| Jane Peterson | Fishing Boats, Gloucester, Massachusetts Brunk Auctions | $100,000 | $60,000 (42 earlier) |
| Charles Rennie Mackintosh | Armchair with low back, designed for the Billiards and Smoking Rooms, Argyle Street Tea Rooms Phillips | $84,625 | $63,060 (7 earlier) |
| Mark Justiniani | Trip to Jerusalem León Gallery | $73,481 | $37,600 (12 earlier) |
| Kenny Scharf | Untitled Phillips | $68,750 | $57,741 (34 earlier) |
| Guglielmo Ulrich | Set of twelve dining chairs Phillips | $54,160 | $48,108 (8 earlier) |
| Venini | Mirror, model no. 20 Phillips | $50,775 | $40,000 (18 earlier) |
| Arne Vodder | Chaise longue Phillips | $40,620 | $35,783 (12 earlier) |
| Betsy Westendorp | Orchids León Gallery | $39,037 | $29,616 (5 earlier) |
| Robert Goodnough | Untitled Wright | $32,500 | $15,000 (16 earlier) |
| Wang Qingsong | Dormitory Phillips | $25,000 | $5,000 (3 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Phillips (454)Strauss & Co (369)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (336)Clarke Auction Gallery (241)Morgan O'Driscoll (217)Sloans & Kenyon (206)Lempertz (177)Brunk Auctions (172)León Gallery (170)SOGA (151)Bonhams (138)Wright (138)Leonard Joel (105)deVeres (100)Cottone Auctions (83)Toovey's (80)Art+Object (71)Artmark (63)Agra-Art (60)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (47)Van Ham (25)Jackson's International Auctioneers (16)