Art auction market report: August 2020
In August 2020, ArtSell recorded 2,064 auction lots from 18 auction houses, of which 1,649 sold (80% sell-through). The 1,649 sales with a published price total $5,441,270, with a median of $921 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Granville Redmond, “Poppies and Lupine”, at $212,575 (Bonhams). 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 | Granville Redmond American | $342,550 | 9 | Poppies and Lupine — $212,575 |
| 2 | David Drake American | $202,200 | 4 | Important Stoneware Jug by Dave (August 17, 1852), Edgefield District, SC — $96,000 |
| 3 | Edgar Alwin Payne American | $151,000 | 5 | Canyon de Chelly — $87,575 |
| 4 | Arthur Grover Rider American | $113,900 | 2 | Sun and Sail — $100,075 |
| 5 | William Wendt American | $106,400 | 2 | California Landscape — $87,575 |
| 6 | Elmer Wachtel American | $106,325 | 1 | The Grandeur that is California — $106,325 |
| 7 | William Alexander Griffith American | $87,575 | 1 | Along the Laguna Coast — $87,575 |
| 8 | Armin Carl Hansen American | $62,650 | 2 | Walking Feet (Monterey Fisherfolk) — $40,075 |
| 9 | Gottardo Piazzoni American | $43,350 | 3 | The Soil — $21,325 |
| 10 | Richard Evett Bishop American | $42,500 | 2 | Geese at Sunset, Honey Lake, Monticello, Florida — $36,000 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | René Lalique French | $123,773 | 17 | A Pre-War 'Bacchantes' Vase, design introduced in 1927 — $29,591 |
| 2 | John Bellany British | $112,516 | 11 | HAUNTED WOMAN — $18,161 |
| 3 | Vaclav Radimsky German | $70,056 | 2 | River Scene with Water Lilies — $42,892 |
| 4 | Jan Matejko Polish | $69,576 | 1 | Głowa konia króla J.Sobieskiego do obrazu Sobieski pod Wiedniem, 1883 r. — $69,576 |
| 5 | Julien Dupré French | $60,000 | 1 | Haymaking (Haymakers in the Sun) — $60,000 |
| 6 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $46,665 | 3 | Dove — $45,000 |
| 7 | Birger Sandzén Swedish | $31,325 | 1 | In the Mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado — $31,325 |
| 8 | Franciszek Żmurko Polish | $30,774 | 1 | Artysta i muzy — $30,774 |
| 9 | L. S. Lowry British | $27,076 | 4 | WINTER IN BROUGHTON — $12,383 |
| 10 | Jacek Malczewski Polish | $26,225 | 1 | Autoportret we wnętrzu — $26,225 |
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).
Auction houses this month
Bonhams (414)Davidson Auctions (363)Helmuth Stone Gallery (231)Pananti (167)Van Ham (161)Brunk Auctions (155)Lyon & Turnbull (138)Crocker Farm (134)Agra-Art (105)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (78)Wright (62)Michaan's Auctions (17)Palm Beach Modern Auctions (12)Bid & Hammer (10)Grisebach (6)Circle Auction (4)Rago Auctions (4)Phillips (3)