Art auction market report: August 2022

In August 2022, ArtSell recorded 3,737 auction lots from 26 auction houses, of which 2,708 sold (72% sell-through). The 2,707 sales with a published price total $17,377,923, with a median of $668 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Arthur Streeton, “Evening Light (Venice) (1908)”, at $1,059,121 (Smith & Singer). 15 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.

Lots offered

3,737

26 houses

Sold

2,708

72% sell-through

Total

$17M

2,707 priced sales

Median

$668

priced sales

Top sales

#	Work	Artist	House · date	Price
1	Evening Light (Venice) (1908), 1908	Arthur Streeton	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$1,059,121 (A$1,534,091)
2	Sur la Plage On the Sands, Dinard 1911, 1911	Ethel Carrick	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$826,114 (A$1,196,591)
3	Heron’s Departure, New Spring, Te Henga	Don Binney	Art+Object · Aug 9, 2022	$697,023 (NZ$1,110,440)
4	Guyi Bulgabula (Fish and Lily) (1992), 1992	Lin Onus	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$444,831 (A$644,318)
5	Off Point Lobos	Guy Rose	Bonhams · Aug 2, 2022	$441,375
6	Kapa Haka (Officer Taumaha)	Michael Parekōwhai	Art+Object · Aug 9, 2022	$363,664 (NZ$579,360)
7	Lilies and Bells (1935), 1935	Arthur Streeton	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$355,865 (A$515,455)
8	Interior with Cat 2010, 2010	Cressida Campbell	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$355,865 (A$515,455)
9	Portrait of Luisa Piñeyro y Merino (Lady on a Bamboo Chair)	Félix Resurrección Hidalgo	León Gallery · Aug 20, 2022	$333,581 (₱18,688,000)
10	Blanche et Noire White and Black 1912, 1912	E. Phillips Fox	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$321,973 (A$466,364)
11	Portrait of Pedro Alejandro Paterno	Félix Resurrección Hidalgo	León Gallery · Aug 20, 2022	$312,732 (₱17,520,000)
12	Glass Carafe with Pink Stem and Fern (2016), 2016	Cressida Campbell	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$288,081 (A$417,273)
13	Explorer I 1965, 1965	Albert Tucker	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$279,608 (A$405,000)
14	Untitled (Wild Yams) (1996), 1996	Emily Kngwarreye	Smith & Singer · Aug 24, 2022	$254,189 (A$368,182)
15	Monuments to Te Whiti and to Te Ua: Prophets	Colin McCahon	Art+Object · Aug 9, 2022	$253,807 (NZ$404,345)

Top American artists

Ranked by total of priced sales in the month; region from the artist’s recorded nationality.

Top American artists, August 2022
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Guy Rose American	$441,375	1	Off Point Lobos — $441,375
2	Armin Carl Hansen American	$274,170	2	Spirit of the Rodeo — $220,875
3	Lloyd Sexton, Jr. American	$138,975	1	Calm Seas in a Hawaiian Cove — $138,975
4	Edgar Alwin Payne American	$122,633	5	Rider and pack horse in the Sierras — $57,075
5	Charles Rollo Peters American	$87,765	4	Moon over a pool — $40,695
6	Charles Reiffel American	$70,718	3	On the Danbury Road — $35,655
7	William Wendt American	$69,930	2	The Oak — $48,255
8	Wolf Kahn American	$62,888	4	Summer Trees Against a Deep Blue Sky — $50,775
9	Emil Kosa Jr. American	$59,288	3	Art Opening — $30,600
10	Anne Ramsdell Congdon American	$53,295	1	Nantucket, Massachusetts — $53,295

Top European artists

Top European artists, August 2022
#	Artist	Total sold	Priced sales	Top result
1	Félix Resurrección Hidalgo Spanish	$646,313	2	Portrait of Luisa Piñeyro y Merino (Lady on a Bamboo Chair) — $333,581
2	John Kelly British	$245,716	1	Man Lifting Cow (1) 1994 — $245,716
3	Julian Fałat Polish	$219,662	2	Procesja w Kalwarii — $207,388
4	Arthur Boyd British	$163,616	8	Evening, Shoalhaven (1981) — $67,784
5	Jack Vettriano British	$96,173	4	BUSTED FLUSH — $45,681
6	Eugene von Guerard Austrian	$84,729	1	The American Creek near Wollongong, N.S.W. (circa 1860) — $84,729
7	Piotr Michałowski Polish	$78,299	1	Huzar austriacki, lata 1836-1850 — $78,299
8	Mariano Benlliure Spanish	$50,037	1	Busto de Pedro Paterno (Bust of Pedro Paterno) — $50,037
9	Mela Muter French	$46,556	1	Obraz dwustronny: Uliczka w Awinionie (l. 40. XX w.) / Wnętrze domu baskijskiego ok. 1913–1914 — $46,556
10	John Byrne British	$39,466	8	FIGURE WITH DOLL — $9,924

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
Ethel Carrick	Sur la Plage On the Sands, Dinard 1911 Smith & Singer	$826,114	$189,474 (38 earlier)
Don Binney	Heron’s Departure, New Spring, Te Henga Art+Object	$697,023	$470,452 (68 earlier)
Emily Kngwarreye	Untitled (Wild Yams) (1996) Smith & Singer	$254,189	$210,000 (8 earlier)
John Kelly	Man Lifting Cow (1) 1994 Smith & Singer	$245,716	$231,844 (85 earlier)
Lloyd Sexton, Jr.	Calm Seas in a Hawaiian Cove Bonhams	$138,975	$52,500 (21 earlier)
J. & E. Norton	Outstanding J. & E. NORTON / BENNINGTON, VT Stoneware Jar w/ Extravagant Cobalt Deer Scene Crocker Farm	$96,000	$54,000 (194 earlier)
Dale Frank	Craven A Art+Object	$76,521	$67,271 (33 earlier)
Peter Siddell	Untitled Art+Object	$68,187	$42,093 (39 earlier)
A.O. Whittemore	Outstanding A.O. WHITTEMORE / HAVANA, N.Y. Stoneware Fish Crock Crocker Farm	$60,000	$10,450 (26 earlier)
Charles Rollo Peters	Moon over a pool Bonhams	$40,695	$22,500 (43 earlier)
March Avery	Karla Drawing Bonhams	$40,695	$37,500 (15 earlier)
Philip Evergood	Self Portrait with a Beer Stein Bonhams	$28,050	$10,000 (15 earlier)
Wilhelm Hunt Diederich	Horse and Snake Bonhams	$25,500	$10,625 (12 earlier)
Kushana Bush	Cock Fight Art+Object	$19,698	$5,936 (16 earlier)
Elmer Livingston MacRae	New York Winter Scene Bonhams	$19,125	$3,500 (3 earlier)

Auction houses this month

Auktionshaus Mehlis (797)Strauss & Co (303)Davidson Auctions (271)Morgan O'Driscoll (261)Sloans & Kenyon (250)Bonhams (232)Lyon & Turnbull (225)Morton Subastas (219)Helmuth Stone Gallery (183)Clarke Auction Gallery (138)Leonard Joel (114)Art+Object (110)León Gallery (102)Crocker Farm (89)Toovey's (88)Smith & Singer (66)Agra-Art (57)Elstob & Elstob (56)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (48)Sworders (36)Michaan's Auctions (30)Van Ham (26)Grisebach (22)Phillips (9)Brunk Auctions (4)Bogotá Auctions (1)