[2023 Spring Auctions] Phillips’ May Sales of 20th Century & Contemporary Art Achieve $108.3 Million
Evening Sale Realizes $70 Million, Led by Banksy, Pablo Picasso, and Roy Lichtenstein, With Strong Prices for Noah Davis and Caroline Walker
COMBINED TOTAL FOR THE WEEK
$108,265,815 / £86,703,560 / €99,895,667
Evening Sale Total
$69,543,100 / £55,704,023 / €64,153,510
Lots Sold: 33 | Lots Offered: 37
Sold by Lot: 89% | Sold by Value: 95%
The evening auction of "Twentieth Century and Contemporary Art" was held at 432 Park Avenue, Headquarters on May 17, US Eastern Time (May 18, Hong Kong time). This auction gathered classic works of modern, post-war and contemporary art, including works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Yayoi Kusama and Anna Weiant. This auction is led by Banksy's top artwork 'Banksy: A Boy and a Dog Stochastically Searched', which is also an artist's response and tribute to Jean Michel Basquiat's 2017 exhibition at the Barbican Art Centre in London. At the same time, the works of Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg are the focus of this auction because of their source and fascinating background stories.
Jean-Paul Engelen, President Americas, and Robert Manley, Deputy Chairman Worldwide Co-Heads of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, said:
Realizing a grand total of $108.3 million, our May Evening and Day Sales showcased the demand for important works of 20th Century and Contemporary Art across all levels – from a 12-minute bidding war for Noah Davis’ Untitled, which rocketed to $990,600– the second highest price for the artist at auction – to Banksy’s Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search selling to a telephone bidder for $9.7 million. Rare-to-market works that spanned the entirety of the 20th and 21st centuries were offered, with 80% of the works in our Evening Sale having never been sold at auction before. This approach is something that is distinctly Phillips’ own, and we are grateful for the hard work of our international team in building an auction that so brilliantly captures the breadth of the category. Bidders from 30 countries took part in the Evening Sale, with the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia all playing an important role. This international participation demonstrates the broad appeal of the artworks on offer and reinforces the strength of the global art market.
Top Ten Lots
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