Art auction market report: September 2023
In September 2023, ArtSell recorded 7,999 auction lots from 37 auction houses, of which 6,008 sold (75% sell-through). The 6,008 sales with a published price total $47,582,650, with a median of $1,115 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Anita Magsaysay-Ho, “Laughter”, at $1,124,037 (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 | $1,050,926 | 30 | Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queens (Royal Edition) (F & S. 334A) — $319,319 |
| 2 | Roy Lichtenstein American | $711,710 | 25 | Two Nudes, from Nudes Series (C. 284) — $311,531 |
| 3 | Ed Ruscha American | $708,456 | 18 | Gem — $475,000 |
| 4 | Ed Clark American | $695,000 | 2 | Gray Force — $380,000 |
| 5 | Donald Judd American | $273,207 | 4 | Untitled (Tomato Red) — $252,000 |
| 6 | Wharton Esherick American | $254,678 | 13 | Jeeter — $91,700 |
| 7 | Kenny Scharf American | $254,653 | 5 | Curvabolatrap — $247,650 |
| 8 | Keith Haring American | $225,308 | 15 | Growing" (Plate 2) — $69,000 |
| 9 | George Rodrigue American | $213,792 | 4 | Split Personality — $93,240 |
| 10 | John Register American | $203,700 | 1 | Late Afternoon Light — $203,700 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Hockney British | $2,226,162 | 65 | The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) - 2 January — $280,378 |
| 2 | Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo Spanish | $529,570 | 5 | Bernard Childs Pintado Mi Retrato en su Estudio de París — $381,748 |
| 3 | Anish Kapoor British | $476,684 | 3 | Untitled — $469,900 |
| 4 | Damien Hirst British | $422,984 | 32 | Kill Monster — $127,000 |
| 5 | Pablo Picasso Spanish | $299,918 | 19 | Faunes et chèvre (Fauns and Goat) (Bl. 934, Ba. 1263) — $101,248 |
| 6 | Albert Marquet French | $289,822 | 1 | Quai des Grands-Augustins, neige — $289,822 |
| 7 | Katharina Grosse German | $285,694 | 4 | Untitled No. 1026 — $217,298 |
| 8 | Alina Szapocznikow Polish | $276,180 | 1 | Mały brąz — $276,180 |
| 9 | Julian Opie British | $264,298 | 21 | Sian Walking; Jeremy Walking in Coat; Verity Walking; and Kris Walking (C. 147-150) — $77,883 |
| 10 | Igor Mitoraj Polish | $253,165 | 1 | Torso Alato — $253,165 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Marquet | Quai des Grands-Augustins, neige Piguet Hôtel des Ventes | $289,822 | $99,603 (23 earlier) |
| Alina Szapocznikow | Mały brąz Polswiss Art | $276,180 | $221,493 (8 earlier) |
| Mauro Perucchetti | Jelly Baby Family 1.3 Phillips | $228,600 | $90,000 (3 earlier) |
| John Register | Late Afternoon Light Bonhams | $203,700 | $50,000 (13 earlier) |
| Peter Bradley | Cassini's Division #3 Phillips | $146,050 | $90,000 (3 earlier) |
| Alfred Leslie | Untitled Rago Auctions | $119,700 | $50,000 (14 earlier) |
| George Rodrigue | Split Personality Helmuth Stone Gallery | $93,240 | $21,760 (71 earlier) |
| Wharton Esherick | Jeeter Rago Auctions | $91,700 | $88,200 (71 earlier) |
| Leo Valledor | Poleka (Slowly) León Gallery | $89,075 | $67,501 (8 earlier) |
| Sayre Gomez | Valley Boy Phillips | $88,900 | $51,450 (9 earlier) |
| John Alexander | Shipwreck II Rago Auctions | $88,200 | $20,408 (18 earlier) |
| Shepard Fairey | Phone Booth Bonhams | $83,050 | $56,222 (94 earlier) |
| Xawery Wolski | Undulate Polswiss Art | $82,854 | $57,079 (14 earlier) |
| Daisy Dodd-Noble | Untitled Phillips | $82,550 | $69,850 (6 earlier) |
| Jerry Elizalde Navarro | Tis the Season of Political Copulation León Gallery | $80,591 | $78,209 (69 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Auktionshaus Mehlis (1,328)Phillips (1,080)Rago Auctions (533)Strauss & Co (523)Bonhams (503)Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) (454)Artmark (321)Piguet Hôtel des Ventes (259)Morton Subastas (258)Morgan O'Driscoll (226)Sloans & Kenyon (182)León Gallery (173)Sopocki Dom Aukcyjny (159)Brunk Auctions (152)Helmuth Stone Gallery (148)Sworders (140)Art+Object (135)Levis Fine Art Auctions (132)Pandolfini (131)Austin Auction Gallery (129)Van Ham (119)Clarke Auction Gallery (117)Leonard Joel (114)Anderson & Garland (100)Bertolami Fine Art (70)Billings (63)Maison Bibelot (61)Cottone Auctions (60)Grisebach (56)Toovey's (54)Agra-Art (46)Elstob & Elstob (43)Smith & Singer (42)Michaan's Auctions (31)Polswiss Art (30)Pananti (17)Haynault (10)