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Christie's New York 20th Century Evening Auction Totals $341M, T-Rex Skeleton Sells for $31.8M

market-auction · 2026-04-27

Christie's New York conducted its 20th Century Evening auction, achieving sales of 46 out of 55 lots, totaling nearly $341 million. A standout piece was the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as 'Stan Rex', unearthed in 1987 by Stan Sacrison, which fetched $31,847,500, far exceeding its $6-8 million estimate. Other significant sales included Jackson Pollock's 'Red Composition' at $13 million (estimated $12-18M), Willem de Kooning's 'Woman' at $23.2 million (estimated $20-30M), and Pablo Picasso's 'Femme dans un fauteuil' at $29.6 million (estimated $30M). Among the lots that did not sell were Joan Miró's 'Le Cirque' (estimated $3-5M) and Andy Warhol's 'Statue of Liberty' (estimated $1.2-1.8M). The auction was entirely streamed, highlighting the strength of the New York market.

Key facts

  • Christie's New York 20th Century Evening auction sold 46 of 55 lots for nearly $341 million.
  • Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton 'Stan Rex' sold for $31,847,500, far above its $6-8 million estimate.
  • Stan Rex was discovered by Stan Sacrison in 1987 in South Dakota.
  • Jackson Pollock's 'Red Composition' sold for $13 million (estimate $12-18M).
  • Willem de Kooning's 'Woman' sold for $23.2 million (estimate $20-30M).
  • Pablo Picasso's 'Femme dans un fauteuil' sold for $29.6 million (estimate $30M).
  • Mark Rothko's 'Untitled' sold for $31.3 million (estimate $30-50M).
  • Cy Twombly's 'Untitled [Bolsena]' sold for $38.7 million (estimate $35-50M).

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • South Dakota

Sources