Auction Watch: Christie’s November Sales Lead With Basquiat and Hockney Hammering At $87.4 Million
Image © Christie's / Untitled (Hollywood African Mask) © Keith Haring 1987
Live TradingFloor
In customary fashion, Christie’s 21st Century and Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale will mark the conclusion of the November sales. While the evening sale brought in $87.4 million at the hammer, the auction house delivered a strong performance, showcasing a 100% sell-through rate to close out an enthusiastic week of sales in New York City. As the results from the day sale come in, this report will be updated accordingly.
Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale achieved a hammer total of $87.4 million, making it the only individual sale, excluding single-owner collections, to surpass its presale low estimate by 11% and fall just 1% short of last year’s equivalent sale total. The auction featured 42 lots, all of which found buyers, with nearly half backed by the auction house or third-party guarantors. Two works were withdrawn presale, including Diane Arbus’ A Jewish Giant (1970), which was anticipated to set a new record, and a painting by Eric Fischl, which could have otherwise contributed to a white-glove performance. Impressively, 66% of the lots performed within or above their estimates, offering a diverse and compelling selection of works by both female and male artists across various mediums.
The Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale, as is typical, concluded the November marquee auction week with a hammer total of $51.2 million, falling 9% short of its $55.2 million presale low estimate. By comparison, the equivalent 2023 sale achieved $53 million at the hammer, with 220 lots sold versus this year’s 185. Despite the slight shortfall, the sale maintained a strong 80% sell-through rate, with 59% of lots performing above or within estimates.
Combined with Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale, the two auctions brought in a hammer total of $138.7 million, just shy of last year’s $141.4 million. Compared to Sotheby’s, Christie’s achieved 8% more at the hammer and generated double the total of Phillips, solidifying its position as the leader among contemporary sales this season.
Here are the highlights:
Image © Christie's / Untitled © Jean-Michel Basquiat 1982Basquiat Emerges As the Star Lot at Christie’s 21st Century Sale
The standout of Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale was a striking Untitled work on paper by Jean-Michel Basquiat, which hammered just below its $20 million presale estimate at $19.6 million, achieving $22.9 million with fees. Basquiat’s presence in this November's sales has been somewhat subdued compared to previous seasons, where he dominated October, May, and November auctions in 2022 and 2023. Despite the slimmer representation, this piece shone brightly, contributing an impressive 22% to the overall hammer total and reaffirming Basquiat’s market appeal this auction season.
Looking To Buy Basquiat Prints?
Browse Jean-Michel Basquiat on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / Four Empty Vases © David Hockney 1996David Hockney's Still Life Surpasses Expectations
David Hockney’s Four Empty Vases (1996) highlighted a recurring theme of still life works on tables during this auction season, complementing the earlier success of Still Life on Glass Table (1970) from the Mica Ertegun Collection. A vibrant composition featuring vases on a blue tablecloth set against a striking green background, this piece marked a departure from Hockney’s iconic Yorkshire landscapes and pool scenes. Making its auction debut, the work garnered strong interest, hammering at $7.1 million–above its $5.5 million high estimate–and achieving $8.5 million with fees.
Looking To Buy Hockney Prints?
Browse David Hockney on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / New Hoover Celebrity IV, New Hoover Convertible, New Shelton 5 Gallon Wet/Dry, New Shelton 10 Gallon Wet/Dry Doubledecker © Jeff Koons 1981-86
Jeff Koons Rebounds at Christie’s With Favourable Results for Two Unique Works
Jeff Koons saw a notable comeback at Christie’s after mixed results at Phillips and Sotheby’s, with two pieces garnering attention. Large Vase of Flowers (1991), a polychromed wood sculpture, showcased a more restrained approach to Koons' signature kitsch style, earning favourable reception. The work hammered at $6.8 million, surpassing its presale low estimate, and achieved $8.2 million with fees in its auction debut.
Additionally, Koons’ New Hoover (1981-1986), a collection of five pristine vacuum cleaners displayed in a sleek case, hammered at $4.2 million, meeting its presale estimates and achieving $5.1 million with fees. This early piece from Koons’ oeuvre draws comparisons to Marcel Duchamp’s ready-made works and is often seen as a commentary on consumerism. For Koons, however, it represents themes of anthropomorphism and a conceptual exploration of sexuality. The work resonated strongly with collectors, marking a notable performance and reinforcing his market momentum.
Image © Christie's / Le Fleurs © Louise Bourgeois 2009Louise Bourgeois’ Auction Debuts
Louise Bourgeois delivered a commendable performance with two notable works showcasing a departure from her iconic arachnid sculptures and demonstrative of her diverse artistic repertoire. Le Fleurs (2009), a complete set of 12 paper works forming a striking tapestry, each featuring a singular red flower with abstract petals, made its auction debut. This piece, was met with enthusiasm, hammering at $2.1 million and achieving $2.5 million with fees.
Additionally, an untitled totem sculpture from 1947, part of Bourgeois’ early Personages series, also made its first auction appearance. The work hammered above its low estimate at $1.2 million, ultimately achieving just over $1.5 million with fees, further underscoring the enduring appeal of Bourgeois’ groundbreaking art.
Keith Haring’s Hollywood African Mask
Keith Haring continued his successful November auction streak with a standout performance at Christie’s, following strong showings at Sotheby’s and Phillips. The sale featured Untitled (Hollywood African Mask) (1987), a cut-out aluminium piece with provenance tracing back to Haring’s original gallery representation, Tony Shafrazi. One of only eight similar works created by Haring, the piece surpassed its presale high estimate of $2 million, hammering at $2.6 million and achieving $3.1 million with fees.
Looking To Buy Haring Prints?
Browse Keith Haring on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / Flowers © Andy Warhol 1964Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale
Andy Warhol's Iconic Flowers
Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Day Sale, much like Sotheby’s, excelled in the prints and multiples category, with Andy Warhol leading as the star of the sale. His vibrant silkscreen on canvas, Flowers (1964), featuring striking pink and orange hibiscus flowers, captured significant attention. Always popular on the market, this work last appeared at auction in October 2020 at Phillips, where it hammered at £1.3 million (GBP). During this sale, it outperformed that result, hammering at $2 million and achieving $2.4 million with fees—an expected value for a Flowers canvas of this size, further demonstrating the enduring demand for Warhol’s works.
Looking To Buy Warhol Prints?
Browse Andy Warhol on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / Green Pool with Diving Board and Shadow (Paper Pool 3) © David Hockney 1978David Hockney’s Green Pool with Diving Board Falls Within Top Lots
David Hockney was another standout at the sale, with Green Pool with Diving Board and Shadow (Paper Pool 3) (1978) performing among the top lots. Created in a limited edition of 15 unique variants, these works are rare to the market and trace back to Hockney’s stopover in New York before returning to Los Angeles. The series was born out of his collaboration with Kenneth Tyler, a master printmaker with a studio just outside the city.
Semi-rare on the market, two variations of this unique edition achieved impressive results in 2023. This specific work first sold at Sotheby’s in 1994 for a modest $80,000 (hammer). In this sale, it achieved a hammer price of $1.8 million and $2.2 million with fees, 1.25 times the previous amount, underscoring the remarkable growth and enduring strength of Hockney’s print market.
Looking To Buy Hockney Prints?
Browse David Hockney on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / Stone © helen Frankenthaler 1983Top Sales by Women Artists: Helen Frankenthaler and Yayoi Kusama Lead with High-Value Lots
Among women artists, Helen Frankenthaler and Yayoi Kusama achieved the highest-valued lots, although both hammered just below their estimates. Frankenthaler’s Stone (1983) hammered at $1.35 million, reaching $1.6 million with fees, while Kusama’s INFINITY-NETS (OTWTTS) (2007) hammered at $1.7 million, achieving $2.1 million with fees.
Looking To Buy Frankenthaler and Kusama Prints?
Browse Helen Frankenthaler and Yayoi Kusama on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Roy Lichtenstein Performs in Originals and Prints Across Auction Houses
Roy Lichtenstein continued his stellar performance across auction houses, excelling in both originals and prints and multiples. Among originals, the standout was Flowers (1981), reminiscent of his abstract brushstroke works from the 1980s, which hammered at $900,000 and achieved $1.1 million with fees. Still Life – Red Apples (1993) also met expectations, hammering squarely within estimates at $630,000 and achieving $793,800 with fees, surpassing the high estimate. In the prints and multiples category, Brushstroke Still Life with Lamp (1997) performed impressively, hammering at $360,000 above the high estimate and achieving $453,600 with fees, further demonstrating the enduring strength of Lichtenstein’s print market.
Looking To Buy Lichtenstein Prints?
Browse Roy Lichtenstein on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Image © Christie's / Tulips (III) © Cy Twombly 1993Strong Results for Cy Twombly and Ed Ruscha in Prints and Multiples
Cy Twombly’s Tulips (III) (1993), a small edition of 10 with two artist proofs, performed exceptionally well in prints and multiples. Part of a six-part series featuring close-up, cropped depictions of tulips in bloom - likely an inspiration for his large-scale La Vie en Rose paintings - this set hammered well above estimates at $95,000, achieving $119,700 with fees.
Ed Ruscha also delivered strong results across auction houses, reflecting consistent demand for both his principal works and prints. His That Is Right (1989), a complete set of 12 lithographs featuring abstract and ambiguous shadows paired with text, hammered at $95,000 and achieved $119,700 with fees. This result set a new record for the set, surpassing its 2018 sale, and underscoring the growing demand for Ruscha’s prints and multiples.
Looking To Buy Twombly and Ruscha Prints?
Browse Cy Twombly and Ed Ruscha on the Trading Floor and sign up to MyPortfolio Collection Management.
Overall Performance
Overall, Christie’s slightly underperformed compared to equivalent sales from the previous year. However, a notable trend emerged among top blue chip artists: while originals generally performed well, with some achieving within estimates, prints and multiples demonstrated strong demand. Although only four were offered in the day sale, all exceeded their estimates, showcasing an impressive hammer-to-estimate ratio and aligning with this year’s market trends favouring the medium and cost accessibility.
Refer to our other auction reports for detailed analysis: Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary auctions, Christie's 20th Century sale, and Phillips Modern & Contemporary Sale.
Live TradingFloor
