Nicolas Party Value: Top Prices Paid At Auction

In 2012, Party began exploring landscapes using vibrant pastels on paper. Blue Sunset (2018) represents a mature stage in his landscape exploration, transitioning from flat, two-dimensional trees to lifelike, three-dimensional forms that evoke a surreal atmosphere. The scene includes an orange sun, colourful trees, and dappled water. The sun's reflection on the water is depicted as a solitary yellow strip below, cutting through the riverbank and creating the illusion of a path leading into the distance. Highly sought-after in secondary markets, Party's sunset landscapes are prized for their vibrant depth and striking compositions. Following his inaugural exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong, Red Forest, in the summer of 2022, this artwork commanded a significant £5.5 million (including fees) at Christie’s Hong Kong, setting a new auction benchmark for Party.

Party continued to affirm his market significance with his second-highest selling artwork at Christie's Hong Kong in May 2023, amidst economic uncertainties. Still Life (2015) features bulbous fruits set against a dual blue and white backdrop, showcasing Party's mastery in blending recognisable forms with an uncanny twist. His artistic prowess is evident in his meticulous choice of medium and technique, transforming ordinary subjects into surrealistic marvels that bridge diverse art styles and periods. This painting, reflecting his longstanding exploration of still life, fetched just over £4 million (including fees), underscoring Party's stature and art market resonance.

Appearing at auction just months after the previous work, Party's Still Life (2015) debuted at Christie's November sales, marking a pinnacle in his career. Fresh from the critical success of his recent installation at New York’s Frick Collection, Party's approach to still life is distinctly contemporary, diverging from the traditional smaller-scale constructions. His still lifes are highly coveted, each fruit rendered uniquely in vibrant colours, juxtaposed to create a vivid tableau. This particular piece achieved a commendable £3.5 million (including fees), surpassing its high estimate and reaffirming Party's standing at the forefront of contemporary art.

Still Life With An Olive (2012-2013), another of Party's still life paintings, features three fruits and a tall, slender vase against a deep cobalt blue background. Originally unveiled at the artist’s 2013 solo exhibition at The Modern Institute in Glasgow, this piece is a rare oil work to come to auction and one of the few where Party combines fruits with flowers. Made with oil on canvas, a divergence from his early use of pastels with other still life portraits, this work is an example of Party's adept use of materiality. This work is only one of seven belonging to Party's Still Life series. Offered just once on the secondary market, it achieved £2.5 million (with fees) at Phillips Hong Kong in October 2023, highlighting its rarity and market demand.

Still Life (2015) was rendered in pastel on linen, depicting a variety of fruits against a rich mahogany backdrop. Initially auctioned in 2020, this work fetched £809,539 (with fees). Returning to auction in October 2023 at Sotheby's, the artwork realised £2.5 million (with fees), more than doubling its previous selling price and underscoring the escalating demand for Party's still life compositions.

Party's adept use of pastels seamlessly merges flat two-dimensional objects with three-dimensional depth in his renowned landscape portraits. These artworks evoke a nostalgic essence akin to Shara Hughes' vibrant landscape scenes, yet they differ in the perception they provoke. Hughes places abstract shapes front and centre, while Party's approach draws viewers deep into the depth of his compositions. Both artists' works possess an uncanny, introspective quality. Party's skill lies in crafting an unfamiliar world with familiar objects, inviting viewers to explore hidden nuances. Landscape (2021) achieved an impressive £2.4 million (with fees) at Christie's in November 2021, highlighting Party's growing prominence in the art market.

In another Landscape piece from 2015, Party combines pastel and watercolour, harmonising geometric shapes to depict a linear perspective of a forest scene. Tall trees with scalloped edges lend an organic touch, while a striking focal point–a slender yellow tree adorned with elongated forms–anchors the composition. Party views his paintings as narrative characters, infusing natural elements with lifelike qualities. Landscape (2015) entered the secondary market twice, initially at Phillips in May 2019 selling for £475,006 (fees included). This work resurfaced in 2021, fetching £2.2 million (fees included) at Christie's, solidifying its status among Party's top-selling works and demonstrating an impressive resale value over a short-term holding period.

Party's aesthetic has often drawn comparisons to Giorgio Morandi, the renowned Italian painter celebrated for his stylised renderings of vessels and objects, which convey their intrinsic nature through meticulously crafted exteriors. Similarly, Party's still life compositions pulsate with vitality, featuring robust forms and vibrant colours that magnify the objects' scale dramatically. This immersive approach, akin to his landscapes, imbues viewers with a sense of awe and introspection. Through this paradoxical technique, Party fosters a contemplative atmosphere in his artworks, inviting viewers to ponder the profound within the seemingly mundane. Still Life (2015) attained £2.1 million (fees included) at Christie's in December 2021, underscoring Party's enduring influence in Contemprary art.

Landscape (2016), showcased in a vertical format, illustrates Party's skilful application of pastels, where he expertly blends and layers colours to achieve a textured interplay of hues among the bushes, trees, and sky on the canvas. His vibrant palette and dynamic approach resonate with the boldness of Pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein, who similarly infused their works with intense colour and energy. Yet, Party's interpretation adds a contemporary twist, invoking mystery and suspense akin to the narrative and surrealism found in Shara Hughe's vibrant landscapes. This unique blend captivates viewers, reflected in the Party's auction success. This work achieved £1.9 million (fees included) at Sotheby's in November 2022, underscoring Party's influence and demand in the art market.

In its auction debut at Christie's in November 2023, Winter Trees (2017) debuted with a cool colour palette, showcasing Party's textured rendition of winter snow on the ground and slender trees casting subtle shadows to evoke linear perspective and depth. The geometric yet caricatured tops of each tree characterise Party's distinctive style, crafting an invitingly surreal scene. This artwork achieved £1.8 million (with fees), firmly establishing itself among Party's top-selling works.