It's mid-November, halfway through New York's month-long auction season, with millions worth of art already passed to private hands, maybe indefinitely. Unlike museums or galleries, auction houses display works from prominent artists and their peers for just days at a time, afterwards sending them to the piranha tank of the auction block. It's not always vicious, but if the art's good, the public may never see it again.
To recap the past two weeks:
On November 9th, Chinese collector Liu Yiqian dropped $170.4 million at Christie's New York for a seductive Amedeo Modigliani nude (below). Unlike most sales, the work will go public in his Long Museum in Shanghai. The auction, The Artist's Muse: A Curated Evening Sale, included works by other prolific greats — Balthus, Yoshitomo Nara, Paul Cézanne, and Pablo Picasso, to name a few.
Also making headlines was a massive cat painting from the 19th century (below). As of November 3rd, it's the relatively obscure artist Carl Kahler's most lucrative work, fetching a "modest" $826,000.
Prior to the sale at Sotheby's New York, Kahler's personal best (i.e. maximum price) was $70,000, seven times less than the monetary gift left by the painting's first owner: $500,000 in 1894, to ensure the care of her beloved pets.
The auction, 19th Century European Art, was not as lucrative as expected, accumulating a total of $10.2 million. However, Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction last Wednesday, November 11, earned $295 million for the auction house.
This untitled Cy Twombly was sold for $70.5 million, beating works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Francis Bacon the same night.
With lofty prices and five-day previews, auction houses epitomize inaccessibility. To get around their figurative steel gates (i.e. confusing websites), brush up on sale highlights and preview times for the remaining big auctions here:
The Collection of A. Alfred Taubman: American Art
Sotheby's New York
Must see: Martin Johnson Heade, The Great Florida Sunset, 1887 (estimated to make between $7 and $10 million).
Honorable mention: Charles Burchfield, Cicada Song in September, 1956 (estimated $300,000 to $500,000).
With a medium as delicate as watercolor, Burchfield manages to capture light in brisk yet elegant brushstrokes; props. His steady hand shines through in other sketches which are also available at the auction.
On view
MON, 16 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
TUE, 17 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Bid on or bid adieu at 6:30 PM on November 18th.
American Art
Sotheby's New York
Must see: Norman Rockwell, Cheerleaders (Losing the Game), 1952 [estimated $2.5 to $3.5 million].
Honorable mention: John Philip Falter, The Visit (estimated $50,000 to $70,000).
This painting is so irrelevant, it doesn't even have a date. There are few works which are distinctly modern while being Americana. The perspective is reminiscent of the mysterious and sparsely populated scenes in Edward Hopper's paintings — Falter differs in his uniform use of light and attention to minute details. Without sharp contrasts between sun and shadow, this snapshot of idyllic life is realistically happy without being eerie.
On view
MON, 16 NOV | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
TUE, 17 NOV | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV | 10:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Bid or bid adieu immediately following The Collection of A. Alfred Taubman: American Art sale.
American Art
Christie's New York
Must see: Norman Rockwell, Norman Rockwell Visits a Country Editor, 1946 (estimated $10 to $15 million).
For some reason, illustrating myriad magazine covers seventy years ago makes Norman Rockwell relevant. Cover after cover, his perspective became synonymous with mainstream America's through his seamlessly relatable scenes of everyday life.
Honorable mention: Frederic Remington, Ghost Stories, 1905-06 (estimated $1.5 to $2.5 million).
The characteristic action of the American Old West settles down in a gentle, monochromatic painting. Unlike most works of his time — his early portfolio included — the artist here paints a rather sympathetic view of aboriginal people.
On view
MON, 16 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
TUE, 17 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Bid or bid adieu Thursday morning at 10:00 AM on November 19th.
Latin America: Modern Art
Sotheby's New York
Must see: Leonora Carrington, El Juglar, 1954 (estimated $1.5 to $2.0 million).
According to the catalogue note, the work explores "pre-Hispanic beliefs in nahualismo, the power to take an animal form to interact with humans." It belonged to a British eccentric whose collection included Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.
Honorable mention: Fernando Botero, Mujer, 1981 (estimated $200,000 to $250,000).
Botero's best known for playing with proportions in two-dimensional art, typically either criticizing or joking with his subjects. Though not as well-known, his sculptures (many of which are available in this sale) are just as recognizable. Mujer in particular is a play on Venus figurines.
On view
MON, 16 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
TUE, 17 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
THU, 19 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
With 194 lots, the auction will take place in two sessions: the first on November 19th at 7:00 PM and the second on November 20th at 10:00 AM. (Bid or bid adieu two times!)
Latin America: Contemporary Art
Sotheby's New York
Must see: Joaquín Torres-García, Arte Constructivo Con Sol y Estrella, 1948 ($500,000 to $700,000 estimate).
Torres-García takes geometry seriously, assigning morality rather aesthetic pleasure to his choice in shapes. "The abstract will become the form, the artist’s means of expression." However obtuse, he's a constructivist artist worth knowing.
Honorable mention: Jesús Rafael Soto, A.M.B. Trou de couleur, 1977 (estimated $200,000 to $300,000).
Soto + metal + wood = magic. Several of his sculpture-painting hybrid babies are also included in the sale.
On view
MON, 16 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
TUE, 17 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
THU, 19 NOV 15 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Bid or bid adieu at 8:00 PM on November 19th.
Latin American Art
Christie's New York
Must see: Rufino Tamayo, Tres personajes, 1970 (estimated $1.5 to $2 million).
While modestly priced, it is anticipated to be one of the most expensive sales at the auction, tied with another Joaquín Torres-García.
Honorable mention: Fernando Botero, The Tree (Tree with Bird), 1978 (estimated $400,000 to $600,000).
Botero is really funny.
On view
MON, 16 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
TUES, 17 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
WED, 18 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
THU, 19 NOV | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
FRI, 20 NOV | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Bid or bid adieu twice: 7:00 PM on November 20th and 2:00 PM on November 21st.
While Christie's and Sotheby's are not the only houses, they continue to generate the most buzz. For more affordable auctions (think: hundreds vs. thousands vs. millions), prints (vs. originals), and smaller names (vs. love of my life Fernando Botero), artnet provides a user-friendly calendar for the art market's liveliest times of the year.
