RESULTS | Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale total $538.9 Million | Christie’s, New York

CHRISTIE’S

RESULTS | POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE | 15 MAY 2019 | NEW YORK

TOTAL: $538,971,750 / £418,131,691 / €480,433,313

Lots Offered: 56         Sold by Lot: 91%
Lots Sold: 51           Sold by Value: 95%

© Christie’s Ltd. 2019
© Christie’s Ltd. 2019

The top lots of the sale were Jeff Koon’s, Rabbit ($91,075,000) - a World Auction Record for Living Artist and Robert Rauschenberg’s Buffalo II, which sold for $88,805,000,after a bidding war on the phones which lasted over 10 minutes.

Jeff Koons (b. 1955), Rabbit, executed in 1986. © Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons (b. 1955), Rabbit, executed in 1986. This work is number two from an edition of three plus one artist's proof and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
Stainless steel. 41 x 19 x 12 in (104.1 x 48.3 x 30.5 cm).
Sold for $91,075,000 on 15 May 2019 at Christie’s in New York © Jeff Koons

Market for Contemporary Sculpture redefined with NewWorld Auction Records set for:
Jeff Koon’s, Rabbit ($91,075,000) World Auction Record for Living Artist
Louise Bourgeois, Spider $32,055,000 World Auction Record and second highest price at auction for a woman artist

6 Further Records Were Set This Evening, Including:

World Auction Record: Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II, $88,805,000

World Auction Record: Frank Stella, Point of Pines, $28,082,500

World Auction Record: Larry Rivers, The Last Civil War Veteran, $1,215,000

World Auction Record: Jonas Wood, Japanese Garden 3, $4,928,500

World Auction Record: Daniel Buren, Peinture aux formes indéfinies, $2,175,000

Record in the Medium: Bruce Nauman, From Hand to Mouth, $1,575,000

*Full results.

Strong results achieved for collections:

  • Masterpieces from The Collection of S.I. Newhouse concluded with tonight’s Evening Sale with outstanding results for the 6 lots that were offered tonight, following 5 that were sold in our Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on Monday evening, bringing the final total to $216,287,500 against an overall estimate of $136m. The group was led by Jeff Koons’ monumental Rabbit, from 1986, which realized $91,075,000, setting a new world auction record for a living artist. 
     
  • The Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection dedicated selection, which commenced the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, achieved very strong results of $157,221,000, bringing the collection’s running total to $173,448,750. Tonight’s group was led by Robert Rauschenberg’s Buffalo II, which sold for $88,805,000, setting a new world auction record for the artist. This was followed by Roy Lichtenstein’s Kiss III, which realized $31,135,000 and Larry Rivers’The Last Civil War Veteran which doubled its high estimate to achieve a world auction record of $1,215,000Further works will be offered in tomorrow’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sales. 

Live stream of post-sale Press Conference

For further sale insights from the sale please visit christies.com

 

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