Art auction market report: February 2023
In February 2023, ArtSell recorded 6,867 auction lots from 31 auction houses, of which 4,742 sold (69% sell-through). The 4,742 sales with a published price total $22,760,012, with a median of $785 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Anita Magsaysay-Ho, “Fruit Market”, at $1,560,962 (León Gallery). 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 | $423,507 | 35 | Jacqueline Kennedy II (Jackie II), from 11 Pop Artists, Volume II (F. & S. 14) — $44,100 |
| 2 | Jaune Quick–to–See Smith Navajo | $358,000 | 2 | Okanogan Series #4 and #6 (2 Diptychs) — $320,000 |
| 3 | Winfred Rembert American | $307,000 | 4 | Cotton Pickers with Overseer — $160,000 |
| 4 | Roy Lichtenstein American | $178,771 | 12 | Crying Girl (C. II.1) — $60,480 |
| 5 | Ed Ruscha American | $172,620 | 4 | Made in California — $94,500 |
| 6 | Ellsworth Kelly American | $137,970 | 8 | Orange and Blue Over Yellow — $60,480 |
| 7 | Jean-Michel Basquiat American | $119,700 | 1 | Ascent; Olympic; Leeches; and Liberty — $119,700 |
| 8 | Leo Valledor American | $113,908 | 2 | Enchantment — $67,501 |
| 9 | John Baldessari American | $84,672 | 4 | Sign for "Rothko and Albers" — $56,700 |
| 10 | John Wesley American | $76,419 | 2 | Woman Falling Asleep — $75,600 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | René Lalique French | $608,606 | 107 | TORTUES VASE, NO. 966 — $58,700 |
| 2 | Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo Spanish | $304,809 | 3 | Untitled — $253,129 |
| 3 | Zdzisław Beksiński Polish | $229,875 | 10 | Z-6 — $119,192 |
| 4 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $150,758 | 6 | Jacqueline au bandeau de face (Grand tête de femme) — $100,800 |
| 5 | Banksy British | $113,400 | 1 | Banksquiat (Grey) — $113,400 |
| 6 | Félix Resurrección Hidalgo Spanish | $80,158 | 1 | Orilla del río Pasig, Manila — $80,158 |
| 7 | Le Pho French | $69,610 | 2 | Les Tulipes Bouquet Blanches — $37,969 |
| 8 | Mario Schifano Italian | $65,160 | 4 | Senza titolo — $26,760 |
| 9 | Juvenal Sansó Garrit Spanish | $63,282 | 2 | The Golden Expanse — $35,860 |
| 10 | David Hockney British | $61,085 | 8 | Steps Into Water, May 1975, from Twenty Photographic Pictures — $18,900 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaune Quick–to–See Smith | Okanogan Series #4 and #6 (2 Diptychs) Clarke Auction Gallery | $320,000 | $56,700 (4 earlier) |
| Elmer Borlongan | Moving Forward (Pasulong) León Gallery | $253,129 | $209,779 (64 earlier) |
| Henri Hecht Maik | Les jeunes Bonhams | $75,975 | $13,750 (7 earlier) |
| Leo Valledor | Enchantment León Gallery | $67,501 | $44,945 (3 earlier) |
| Ramón Martínez | Market Vendor León Gallery | $46,407 | $4,705 (8 earlier) |
| Carla Accardi | Senza titolo Capitolium Art | $38,802 | $27,838 (18 earlier) |
| Esias Bosch | Butterfly Lustreware Tile Strauss & Co | $31,868 | $24,493 (26 earlier) |
| Gilberto Zorio | Stella cangiante Capitolium Art | $18,732 | $10,305 (3 earlier) |
| Walter Lamb | Chaise lounges model C-4700, pair Wright | $17,640 | $17,400 (281 earlier) |
| Cristofano Allori | Judith with the Head of Holofernes Brunk Auctions | $17,000 | $12,680 (4 earlier) |
| Jaime de Guzman | Mother and Child León Gallery | $16,875 | $14,820 (12 earlier) |
| Linda Stark | Purple Love IV (Rotation Diptych) Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) | $16,380 | $13,750 (4 earlier) |
| Jean Xceron | Branching, #337 Clarke Auction Gallery | $15,000 | $11,000 (23 earlier) |
| Gianfranco Ferroni | Uomo e gasometro Capitolium Art | $14,718 | $8,620 (17 earlier) |
| Alfredo Carmelo | Sailboats León Gallery | $12,656 | $6,637 (4 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Bonhams (958)Auktionshaus Mehlis (679)Pananti (559)Strauss & Co (450)Van Sabben Poster Auctions (331)Capitolium Art (296)Art+Object (264)Phillips (254)Wright (238)Sloans & Kenyon (236)Maison Bibelot (236)Rago Auctions (233)Artmark (228)Lyon & Turnbull (222)Helmuth Stone Gallery (194)Davidson Auctions (170)Van Ham (160)Morton Subastas (160)León Gallery (151)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (150)Circle Auction (95)Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (91)Brunk Auctions (87)Clarke Auction Gallery (87)Elstob & Elstob (80)Anderson & Garland (79)Toovey's (66)Agra-Art (50)Sworders (24)Leonard Joel (20)Michaan's Auctions (19)