Christie's Art Week's total turnover broke the one billion dollar mark, and Cox's collection of Impressionism masterpieces led the show

 Auction Information     |      未知    |    2023-06-03 16:29
This season's 20th and 21st Century Art Week has set 31 world auction records, and witnessed 22 artists such as Van Gogh and Beeple breaking the $10 million mark in transaction prices

In May 2021, Christie's launched its 20th and 21st Century Art Week for the first time, renaming this category of auctions for a long time. In November of this year, Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art recorded a dazzling transaction value of $971176750 through two nights and three exciting evening auctions. The total transaction volume of the Art Week reached $1109415750.
 
This art week is the first time since 2020 to greet bidding customers at the auction site. The long-awaited evening auction of a single collector's collection, "Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism", was the first to make its debut and ended with a brilliant performance of $332031500. The total turnover was as much as 160% of the low valuation, and all the pieces were sold. The evening auction of 20th century art, which followed closely, recorded a total transaction amount of $419866500, representing a low valuation of 113% and a transaction rate of 92%. The previous evening auction of 21st century art recorded a total transaction amount of $219278750, which was a low valuation of 114%, and all the items were sold. This series of auctions has attracted enthusiastic bids from collectors from 27 countries.
 
The newly renovated auction house at Christie's Rockefeller Center in New York provides a vivid and immersive experience for collectors around the world through various digital technologies. The auction was hosted by Gemma Sudlow, Adrien Meyer, and Jussi Pylk ä nen, with two large screens next to them displaying real-time bids from Christie's London and Hong Kong.
 
More than 1.2 million viewers watched live broadcasts through Christie's website and major social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and WeChat. This auction is the first to create a unique experience for the audience, allowing them to appreciate the auction from the auctioneer's perspective and experience the busiest and most exciting characters in the auction.

Cox Collection: Stories of Impressionism
 
Christie's is honored to present "Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism" this season. For more than half a century, Edwin Lockridge Cox, a business tycoon, collector and philanthropist in Texas, has devoted himself to collecting Impressionism and post Impressionism masterpieces. More than 20 masterpieces by renowned craftsmen have been identified as new owners through this auction.
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), "The Wooden House between the Olive and Cypress Trees," written in October 1889
Oil paint canvas. 17 ⅞ x 23 ¾  Inches (45.5 x 60.3 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's New York "Cox Collection: Stories of Impressionism" auction on November 11, 2021
Transaction price 71350000 US dollars
 

The three masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh in the Chinese language collected by Cox are particularly eye-catching, coming from the most important creative period at the end of the artist's life. The Wooden House between Olive Trees and Cypress Trees "leapt to become the highest selling item of this auction week. This painting was painted by Van Gogh in October 1889 in St. Remy, causing a fierce bidding process that lasted for five minutes. In the end, one buyer on the field defeated seven other telephone bidders and took it in for $71350000. Vincent van Gogh lived in a sanatorium on the outskirts of Saint Remy for a year, and his works reached their peak in expression. He was fascinated by the common olive and cypress trees in the Provencal scenery, believing that they were symbols of life, touch, and power, just like the sunflowers of Arles.
 
Van Gogh's early work "Wheat Pile" in Arles in June 1888 was sold for 35855000 US dollars, setting a new world record for artists' works on paper. Many artists use paper based painting practices or create sketches for oil color paintings, but Van Gogh uses both paper and canvas as media to create a dialogue between the two. His paper based works are as innovative as oil paintings. In addition, two months before the artist's death, the painting "Young Man with Cornflower" painted in the town of Orville was also sold at a high price of $46732500 after a fierce 9-minute competition among 11 bidders, far exceeding the pre auction valuation of $5000000- $7000000.
 
The three Van Gogh works in this collection tell the artist's creative maturity in a beautiful, moving, and profound way, which is an unforgettable moment in my career, "said Vanessa Fusco, co director of the 20th century Art Evening Auction.
 
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), 'The Red Roof of Astack', 1883-1885
Oil paint canvas. twenty-five ¾  X 32 inches (65.5 x 81.4 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's New York "Cox Collection: Stories of Impressionism" auction on November 11, 2021
Transaction price $55320000
 

Paul Cézanne's The Red Roof of Stark, written in 1883-1885, is another highlight in Cox's collection, which was sold at a high price of $55320000. Since its completion, the work has only been publicly exhibited once. Cezanne visited Estac multiple times from the late 1870s to the early 1880s, and was deeply inspired to paint multiple innovative landscape paintings. This work is one of the representative works among them.
 
Cezanne's family was then far away in Aix, and Aistak was also far away from Paris. Here, artists developed unconventional and innovative landscape painting techniques, opening up a new path for future artists. He is no longer satisfied with the fleeting creation style in the Impressionism landscape painting, but integrates the color and shape with the bright sunshine and warm climate of South France in the composition, creating a magnificent, striking, harmonious and eternal classic painting.

Gustav Kayebot (1848-1894), "Young Man by the Window," written in 1876
Oil paint canvas. 45 ⅝ x 31 ⅞ inches (116 x 81 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's New York "Cox Collection: Stories of Impressionism" auction on November 11, 2021
Transaction price $53030000
 

Other remarkable masterpieces include Gustav Cayebot's Young Man by the Window in 1876, which was sold at a high price of $53030000, and Claude Monet's Scenery of Ajantey in 1874, which was sold at a price of $27840000. This masterpiece of Cayebort breaks the world auction record of artists, depicting a young man looking out of the window of the elegant apartment in Paris and falling into a moment of leisurely meditation to catch a glimpse of the bourgeois life in Paris. His works later appeared in the first large-scale Impressionism exhibition held in the United States in 1886, which highly publicized the artist's grand ambition, and he became a well-known artist in the art world of Paris who carefully described contemporary life.
 
Monet's "Scenery of Ajantey" was written in 1874, the same year that the first Impressionism exhibition was held, and it was an important landscape work that broke through stereotypes. The landscape paintings painted by the artist in Argenteuil in the 1870s are regarded as the peak works of Impressionism.
 
The second white glove auction of this season's art week broke the world auction records of Gustav Luvaso, Hugh Henri Breckridge and Gustav Cayebot, and also set a new world record for Vincent van Gogh's works on paper.

20th Century Art Evening Auction
 
The evening auction of 20th century art has written magnificent achievements for modern and post-war art masterpieces. The total auction volume reached $419866500, with masterpieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, and Ce Tombrey leading the auction.
 
The highest selling price of this auction was Andy Warhol's portrait of "Jean Michel Baschia" in 1982, which fell for a high price of $40091500. This work is from Peter Brandt's collection and is recognized as the only work in the hands of a private collector. The year 1982 represented the pinnacle of Baschia's creative career (the highest selling item at Christie's 21st Century Art Evening Auction held on November 9th was his masterpiece of the same year), and also witnessed Woho's bold adoption of new ideas in his creations.
 
Andy Warhol (1928-1987), "Jean Michel Baschia," written in 1982
Metal pigment acrylic screen ink canvas. 40 x 40 inches (101.6 x 101.6 centimeters)
This work was sold at Christie's' 20th Century Art Evening Auction 'in New York on November 11, 2021
Transaction price of $40091500
 

Emily Kaplan, co director of the evening auction of 20th century art, explained, "Andy Warhol's work by Jean Michele Baschia bears witness to the sincere friendship between two great artists. This work is the pinnacle of Pop art giant Warhol and also a moving portrait of Baschia. I am deeply pleased to bring this work to the market
 
This Buschia portrait is the only known oxidized form portrait, and another similar work is currently permanently collected by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Baschia also collected a similar work during his lifetime, which is still hidden in the artist's heritage.
 
Seth Tombrey (1928-2011), Untitled, 1961
Oil crayon graphite colored pencil canvas. 78 Å x 90 ¾ Inches (199.1 x 230.5 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's' 20th Century Art Evening Auction 'in New York on November 11, 2021
Transaction price of $32000000
 

Another highlight of the evening was Ce Tombrey's 1961 "Untitled", which sold for as much as $32 million. This work, created in Italy during the artist's peak period, highlights Tombrey's unique artistic vocabulary and establishes his important position in the 20th century art world. The painting presents a rich and diverse encyclopedia like representation of Tombury's mysterious symbols through delicate rendering techniques. This magnificent masterpiece perfectly combines the artist's poetic posture with his profound understanding of the materiality of the work.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), "Musketeer and Pipe II," written in 1968
Oil colored Ripolin paint canvas. fifty-seven ½  X 38 inches (146 x 96.5 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's' 20th Century Art Evening Auction 'in New York on November 11, 2021
Transaction price of $34710000
 

The Musketeer and Pipe II depicts the most well-known protagonist of Pablo Picasso, who sold for a high price of $34710000. The artist's 1968 series of works includes multiple paintings with the theme of Musketeers, witnessing his strong interest in this topic. Picasso's 140th birthday has just passed, and this auction also presents multiple masterpieces from different periods of his artistic career.
 
One group of 11 female sitting portraits is derived from the artist's classic series of works "Women in Algiers". The woman II (Jacqueline) sitting cross legged in Türkiye's clothes, painted in 1955, was sold at a high price of 25550000 dollars. Another Musketeers' work from the late 1960s, 'The Man Smoking a Pipe,' was sold for $15430000. Picasso's Cubist masterpiece "Portrait" was sold for $7344500, while his rose period paper work "A Meal for an Acrobat" was sold for $7144500.
 
Jahard Richter's magnificent and colorful work "Abstract Painting", written in 1988, was completed for $27185000. The work is not based on images as the purpose of expression, but takes pigments and the creative process as the starting point. Richter attempted to visually express the fusion of colors through dynamics, and his superb skills are evident in this work. Artists use squeegee as an important tool to introduce unprecedented creative freedom into their works.
 
Li Bontecu (born in 1931), "Untitled", written from 1959 to 1960
Welded steel canvas fabric velvet wire. forty-two ½  X 41 ½  X 8 inches (108 x 105.4 x 20.3 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's' 20th Century Art Evening Auction 'in New York on November 11, 2021
Transaction price: 9176500 USD
 

The Untitled, created by Li Buntku from 1959 to 1960, is a work of welded steel, canvas, cloth, velvet and wire. It was sold at a price of 9176500 dollars, breaking the world auction record for artists. Bontecu is famous for its large wall mounted steel and canvas sculptures, and such magnificent and complex works are rare and rarely seen on the set. This work was created in 1959, when the artist had just started this series of works.
 
In the evening auction, multiple private collections all achieved strong results: the Stella Collection, the Erin Cambert Al de Sanfarer Collection, and the Herbert Casper Collection recorded sales of $32127500, $21060000, and $15656625, respectively.
 
21st Century Art Evening Auction
 
The 21st Century Art Evening Auction held on November 9th marked the beginning of this season's Art Week with a success, with all the items sold and a record of white gloves. Auction director Ana Maria Celis said, "This night's auction was 100% successful, breaking the world auction record for ten artists. It is a proud achievement to celebrate. We have achieved remarkable results for rookie artists, female artists, diverse artists, NFT encrypted artworks, and charity auctions, creating great milestones representing today and the future. We are deeply honored and proud
 
Jean Michel Baschia (1960-1988), "The Crime of Golden Teeth", 1982
Acrylic inkjet oil painting stick canvas, 94 ½  X 165 ⅞ inches (240 x 421.3 centimeters)
This work was sold at Christie's 21st Century Art Evening Auction in New York on November 9, 2021
Transaction price $40000000
 

The highest selling price of the night was the magnificent masterpiece "The Crime of Golden Teeth" created by Jean Michel Baschia in 1982, with a selling price of up to $40000000. The work depicts the Sabbath Baron in Haitian voodoo, who is an important spiritual figure in Haitian culture.
 
This rare masterpiece has been privately collected for nearly 25 years and was created by Baschia on his second trip to Modena, Italy in March 1982. Emilio Mazzoli provided a large studio for Baschia to create, resulting in a significant shift in the artist's style. The huge canvas allowed him to fully showcase his ambitions for the first time, while also replicating the New York City streetscape in his works. It was in New York that he developed his unique artistic vocabulary.
 
Peter Doig (born in 1959), The Marsh, 1990
Oil paint canvas. seventy-seven ½  X 95 inches (197 x 241 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's 21st Century Art Evening Auction in New York on November 9, 2021
Transaction price $39862500
 

The second highest price auction of the night was Peter Doig's magnificent masterpiece "The Mud Marsh" (1990), which was sold at a high price of 39862500 US dollars, breaking the world auction record for artists. This early masterpiece is one of Doig's first works depicting canoes, with canoes and cabins being key themes throughout the artist's creative career. The Mud Marsh is based on a stills of the popular 1980 horror film Friday the 13th. It integrates romantic, nostalgic and premonitory emotions, resonates with art history, and also flashes the artist's personal memories and shows his abstract painting skills.
 
The most eagerly awaited work in the auction is a series of NFT encrypted artworks from well-known and emerging artists. Christie's sold "Every Day: The First 5000 Days" (written in 2021) and its related non homogenous tokens (NFT) at a sky high price of 69 million dollars in March. It is the first pure digital NFT art work presented by a large auction house in the history of auction. The creator, Mike Winkelman (i.e. Beeple), made history again in this season's auction. He brought his brand new work "Human One" (2021), a hybrid of physical and digital formats, for sale to an online seller for $28985000.
 
Beeple (born in 1981), "Human One," written in 2021
Dynamic film sculpture - four film screens (16000 pixels), polished aluminum metal, mahogany frame, dual media server; Continuous video playback with corresponding dynamic non homogeneous tokens (NFTs)
87 x 48 x 48 inches (220.1 x 121.9 x 121.9 centimeters)
This work was sold at Christie's 21st Century Art Evening Auction in New York on November 9, 2021
Transaction price of $28985000
 

In "Human One," a lonely astronaut continues to move forward amidst seemingly familiar ruins, slowly spinning through four polished LED screens. Beeple stated that he plans to continuously enrich and develop this visual art collection throughout his life to respond to social events. This innovative technological work will establish a new trust model between artists and collectors.
 
Several charity auctions have also achieved impressive results. Among the 18 pieces presented by "Unconditional Love: Auction Proceeds Donated to AIDS Memorial in New York City", Nicholas Patty's "Landscape" (2021) soared in price within seconds after the auction opened and broke the artist's auction record. Finally, it ended up with a high price of 3270000 dollars, more than ten times the low price before the auction. Dana Schutz's "Smoker" (2021) was sold for $1830000, and post-war and contemporary art daytime auctions also achieved impressive results. This part of the auction proceeds will be donated to the AIDS Memorial Hall in New York City, establish a flexible strategic fund, ensure the normal operation of the Memorial Hall, and help promote future art, culture and education projects.
 
Nicholas Patty (born in 1980), "Landscape", written in 2021
Pink colored linen fabric. 43 x 36 inches (109.2 x 91.4 cm)
This work was sold at Christie's 21st Century Art Evening Auction in New York on November 9, 2021
Transaction price $3270000
 

The proceeds from the auction of Rashid Johnson's "Scar Painting" Otherwise You Will Fall "in 2021 were donated to ClientEarth, which was sold at a price of US $2.55 million, setting a new world auction record for artists, and further exceeding the estimated value of US $650000-800000. This work is an extension of the artist's recent "Scar Painting" series, which comes from Johnson's "Anxious People" series from 2015 to 17. Christie's sold "Anxiety Red Painting December 18th" for $1950000 in May 2021, setting an auction record for Johnson's work.
 
The masterpieces of "Image World: American Private Collection" appeared in the evening auction of 21st century art, the day auction of post-war and contemporary art, presenting famous works of avant-garde artists in the image age, including Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger and Christopher Ouer.
 
After two hours of enthusiastic bidding, the 21st Century Art Evening Auction came to a successful conclusion, recording a total turnover of $219278750, and breaking the world auction record of ten artists, including Cheng Xinyi, Hillary Pacis, Nicolas Patty, Issie Wood, Stanley Whitney, Peter Doig, Jacqueline Humphries, Barbara Kruger, Rashid Johnson and Kenny Schalff.
 
On November 12, 2021, the auction of the 20th and 21st century art series continued, with a total transaction amount of $94180125 recorded during the daytime auction of post-war and contemporary art. The highest transaction price of this auction was Mark Rothko's Untitled (1961), which was sold at a high price of 8489500 US dollars, which was the highest transaction price outside this category of evening auctions. Day auctions have set a new record for ten artists, including Danielle Ochard,
Deborah Roberts, Noah Davis, Trevor Paglen, Ernie Barnes, Amy Hillman, Oluwer Omofemi, Marley Freeman, Jennifer Guidi, and Zeng Guangzhi. The auction also set a new record for the paper works of five artists, including Rashid Johnson, Salman Thor, Lee Krasna, Christina Quarles, and Eddie Martinez. The Impressionism and Modern Art Day Auction and Paper Work Auction held on November 13, 2021 recorded a total of 42309875 US dollars, and set a new world auction record for Susan Waladon. The auction of Picasso's ceramic artworks, which debuted at the end of the year, achieved a transaction of $1749000.