Art auction market report: January 2021
In January 2021, ArtSell recorded 4,499 auction lots from 22 auction houses, of which 3,683 sold (82% sell-through). The 3,683 sales with a published price total $18,067,592, with a median of $1,336 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Andy Warhol, “Mickey Mouse, from Myths (F & S. 265)”, at $241,986 (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 | Andy Warhol American | $1,213,647 | 21 | Mickey Mouse, from Myths (F & S. 265) — $241,986 |
| 2 | Wharton Esherick American | $250,000 | 11 | Goose — $60,000 |
| 3 | Roy Lichtenstein American | $238,338 | 6 | Reverie, from 11 Pop Artists, Volume II (C. 38) — $172,847 |
| 4 | Dale Chihuly American | $221,537 | 31 | Pilchuck Stumps, set of two — $20,000 |
| 5 | Jonas Wood American | $169,829 | 7 | Untitled — $60,496 |
| 6 | Betty Woodman American | $159,413 | 5 | Muscle Boys (Triptych) — $69,063 |
| 7 | Toshiko Takaezu American | $144,989 | 25 | Momo Form — $30,000 |
| 8 | Christopher Ries American | $133,750 | 6 | Lotus — $32,500 |
| 9 | Harry Bertoia American | $133,570 | 6 | Untitled (Sonambient) — $72,500 |
| 10 | Albert Paley American | $126,688 | 14 | Splay — $27,500 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Hockney British | $489,620 | 23 | Untitled No. 11, from The Yosemite Suite — $86,423 |
| 2 | Damien Hirst British | $470,390 | 19 | Mantra — $120,993 |
| 3 | Banksy British | $417,290 | 7 | Napalm — $112,350 |
| 4 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $290,837 | 22 | Portrait imaginaire (Imaginary Portraits): six plates — $108,893 |
| 5 | Gerhard Richter German | $171,983 | 4 | Quattro Colori (Four Colours) (B. 138) — $76,053 |
| 6 | Juvenal Sansó Garrit Spanish | $166,004 | 10 | Untitled — $72,883 |
| 7 | Grayson Perry British | $160,748 | 2 | Map of an Englishman — $157,291 |
| 8 | John Bellany British | $155,546 | 15 | ALLEGORY - A CELTIC PHANTASMAGORIA (TRIPTYCH) — $82,838 |
| 9 | Harland Miller British | $155,363 | 7 | High on Hope — $41,483 |
| 10 | Joan Miró Spanish | $142,695 | 13 | Gaudí XX (D. 1079) — $31,112 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Vettriano | FISH TEAS Lyon & Turnbull | $137,040 | $67,997 (3 earlier) |
| John Bellany | ALLEGORY - A CELTIC PHANTASMAGORIA (TRIPTYCH) Lyon & Turnbull | $82,838 | $18,161 (59 earlier) |
| George E. Ohr | Exceptional and Large vase Rago Auctions | $81,250 | $78,000 (84 earlier) |
| Betty Woodman | Muscle Boys (Triptych) Bonhams | $69,063 | $61,992 (19 earlier) |
| Jean Dupas | Panel from the Grand Salon of the S.S. Normandie Rago Auctions | $68,750 | $22,500 (19 earlier) |
| Jules Leleu | Jules Leleu (French Sworders | $60,236 | $12,268 (6 earlier) |
| Wharton Esherick | Goose Rago Auctions | $60,000 | $35,000 (8 earlier) |
| Mira Nakashima | Exceptional Sanso table Rago Auctions | $60,000 | $40,000 (34 earlier) |
| Michael Glancy | Uranium Undulation Rago Auctions | $47,500 | $18,750 (5 earlier) |
| Grueby Faience Company | Rare and Large vase Rago Auctions | $40,000 | $35,000 (37 earlier) |
| Roger Hilton | FIGURE Lyon & Turnbull | $34,160 | $16,248 (7 earlier) |
| Michael Graves | Piazza four-piece tea and coffee service with tray Rago Auctions | $32,500 | $20,000 (19 earlier) |
| Toshiko Takaezu | Momo Form Rago Auctions | $30,000 | $16,250 (38 earlier) |
| Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová | Laid Table with a Small Cup Rago Auctions | $27,500 | $26,250 (4 earlier) |
| John Byrne | CECI N’EST PAS UN AUTO-PORTRAIT, 2003 Lyon & Turnbull | $27,408 | $14,199 (12 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
León Gallery (655)Rago Auctions (568)Artmark (382)Twents Veilinghuis (310)Phillips (267)Sworders (264)Van Ham (219)Lyon & Turnbull (213)Pandolfini (210)Helmuth Stone Gallery (208)Morgan O'Driscoll (198)Bonhams (186)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (171)Pananti (126)Clarke Auction Gallery (121)Agra-Art (105)Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (91)Polswiss Art (51)Cottone Auctions (49)Brunk Auctions (45)Grisebach (38)Michaan's Auctions (22)