Art auction market report: March 2021
In March 2021, ArtSell recorded 6,278 auction lots from 32 auction houses, of which 4,716 sold (75% sell-through). The 4,716 sales with a published price total $41,198,217, with a median of $1,424 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Jacek Malczewski, “PRZĄDKA”, at $1,729,594 (Agra-Art). 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 | Mickalene Thomas American | $889,100 | 1 | Untitled #10 — $889,100 |
| 2 | Alexander Calder American | $839,790 | 5 | Untitled (Demi-cône) — $805,000 |
| 3 | Peter Saul American | $239,400 | 1 | Lawd — $239,400 |
| 4 | John Chamberlain American | $152,460 | 2 | Pasâdé Paar-Buckle — $138,600 |
| 5 | Andy Warhol American | $145,442 | 8 | Kiku 1983 — $70,025 |
| 6 | Frederick Hammersley American | $140,000 | 4 | Dark & like, #23 — $47,500 |
| 7 | Nam June Paik South Korean | $138,600 | 1 | Gotherbot — $138,600 |
| 8 | Kaws American | $126,598 | 6 | UNTITLED — $51,916 |
| 9 | Kenny Scharf American | $123,326 | 4 | Slapee — $75,600 |
| 10 | Richard Anuszkiewicz American | $121,470 | 3 | Untitled (from the Temple Series) — $50,000 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacek Malczewski Polish | $2,251,207 | 6 | PRZĄDKA — $1,729,594 |
| 2 | Zdzisław Beksiński Polish | $807,905 | 10 | Bez tytułu, 1983 — $202,728 |
| 3 | Józef Mehoffer Polish | $597,643 | 2 | Portret Aleksandra Dejeana — $596,735 |
| 4 | Wojciech Fangor Polish | $516,306 | 4 | E18 — $324,313 |
| 5 | Henryk Hayden Polish | $453,419 | 2 | Martwa natura z kompotem — $441,065 |
| 6 | Jerzy Nowosielski Polish | $409,822 | 11 | NA PLAŻY — $117,365 |
| 7 | Agathon Léonard French | $380,000 | 1 | LE VAMPIRE — $380,000 |
| 8 | Arthur Boyd British | $357,440 | 10 | Wimmera Landscape with Fire and White Heron c1985 — $126,046 |
| 9 | Jaume Plensa Spanish | $313,600 | 2 | Self Portrait with Rivers IV — $175,000 |
| 10 | Władysław Czachórski Polish | $305,767 | 1 | CZY CHCESZ RÓŻĘ ? — $305,767 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacek Malczewski | PRZĄDKA Agra-Art | $1,729,594 | $864,312 (195 earlier) |
| Józef Mehoffer | Portret Aleksandra Dejeana Polswiss Art | $596,735 | $180,110 (51 earlier) |
| Gordon Walters | Mokoia Art+Object | $455,623 | $397,940 (145 earlier) |
| Henryk Hayden | Martwa natura z kompotem Polswiss Art | $441,065 | $363,805 (76 earlier) |
| Agathon Léonard | LE VAMPIRE Clarke Auction Gallery | $380,000 | $23,825 (5 earlier) |
| Hernan Bas | Downhill at Dusk (The Runaway) Phillips | $352,800 | $309,463 (44 earlier) |
| Peter Saul | Lawd Phillips | $239,400 | $93,750 (15 earlier) |
| Gilbert Poillerat | Rare Mirror Bonhams | $237,813 | $41,590 (4 earlier) |
| Ben Quilty | Beast 2 2005 Menzies | $205,408 | $83,487 (20 earlier) |
| Zdzisław Beksiński | Bez tytułu, 1983 Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny | $202,728 | $159,288 (294 earlier) |
| Włodzimierz Tetmajer | Pokłon przed Matką Boską Polswiss Art | $160,859 | $64,126 (25 earlier) |
| Michael Parekōwhai | Kapa Haka (Hīwera) Art+Object | $145,546 | $130,706 (108 earlier) |
| Mela - (Melania Mutermilch) Muter | MĘŻCZYZNA Z FAJKĄ Agra-Art | $126,631 | $91,600 (31 earlier) |
| Sam Cox | Red Mountain Phillips | $113,566 | $73,154 (9 earlier) |
| Erik Parker | Think Twice Phillips | $100,800 | $42,500 (8 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Rago Auctions (543)Pananti (444)Capitolium Art (403)Whyte's (382)Artmark (382)Toomey & Co. (354)Van Ham (352)Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden (307)Phillips (293)Bonhams (258)Davidson Auctions (229)Morgan O'Driscoll (227)Agra-Art (216)Pandolfini (203)Maison Bibelot (176)Leonard Joel (166)Farsettiarte (164)deVeres (146)Levis Fine Art Auctions (127)Menzies (123)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (118)Lyon & Turnbull (104)Sworders (102)Polswiss Art (95)Art+Object (87)Clarke Auction Gallery (74)Circle Auction (62)Cottone Auctions (52)Toovey's (52)Colasanti Casa d'Aste (16)Grisebach (11)Bid & Hammer (10)