Art auction market report: October 2026
In October 2026 (results recorded through Oct 6, 2026), ArtSell recorded 431 auction lots from 4 auction houses, of which 85 sold (20% sell-through). The 85 sales with a published price total $1,221,495, with a median of $4,189 (USD at the sale-date rate). The top sale was Emily Kngwarreye, “(Language group: Anmatyerr)”, at $230,406 (Leonard Joel). 3 artists set a new high compared with every earlier result in the database.
Lots offered
431
4 houses
Sold
85
20% sell-through
Total
$1.2M
85 priced sales
Median
$4.2k
priced sales
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 | R. C. Gorman Navajo | $1,100 | 1 | Shawana — $1,100 |
| 2 | Lamar Dodd American | $300 | 1 | Mary — $300 |
Top European artists
| # | Artist | Total sold | Priced sales | Top result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur Boyd British | $82,737 | 2 | (Bride over Shoalhaven) — $76,802 |
| 2 | Marc Chagall Belarusian | $27,928 | 1 | L'Animal Aile — $27,928 |
| 3 | Jan Hendrik Scheltema Dutch | $20,248 | 2 | (Pulling Stumps, Early Morning) — $11,171 |
| 4 | Hermanus Willem Koekkoek Dutch | $13,964 | 1 | A Scene from the Franco-Prussian War — $13,964 |
| 5 | Mortimer Menpes British | $6,982 | 1 | (Children in a Shop) — $6,982 |
| 6 | Oskar H. Hagemann German | $1,400 | 1 | Portrait of Girl in Red Dress — $1,400 |
| 7 | Thomas Rowlandson British | $350 | 1 | The Meat Seller with a Gourmand — $350 |
| 8 | James Vivien De Fleury British | $250 | 1 | Kitchen Interior — $250 |
| 9 | Francesco Bartolozzi Italian | $50 | 1 | Pair of Sepia Tone Engravings, Mariano Bovi, London, England, publisher — $50 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Rolando | Forest Stream and Bush Walker Leonard Joel | $19,550 | $6,504 (18 earlier) |
| Tim Wilson | Makarora River Leonard Joel | $15,360 | $14,723 (4 earlier) |
| Hermanus Willem Koekkoek | A Scene from the Franco-Prussian War Leonard Joel | $13,964 | $7,702 (3 earlier) |
Auction houses this month
Hagelstam (307)Leonard Joel (114)Brunk Auctions (9)Billings (1)