Market & Auctions

Market trends, sales, auction results, major lots, records, and analysis from Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and others.

Most recent stories

Bitfinex Bitcoin Longs Hit 2.5-Year High Amid Five-Day Selloff market-auction
From May 15 to May 19, 2026, Bitcoin experienced a downturn for five straight trading days, decreasing from over $80,000 to approximately $76,000 due to widespread market…
Carla Accardi Record at Dorotheum Vienna Contemporary Week market-auction
At Dorotheum's Contemporary Week in Vienna on May 19-20, 2026, Italian artists achieved strong results. Carla Accardi's 1986 triptych 'Fonda Notte Pieno Giorno' sold for €520,000…
Used DSLR Market Thrives While New Sales Plummet market-auction
Despite a sharp decline in new DSLR shipments—from nearly one million units in 2024 to under 700,000 in 2025—the used DSLR market is booming, particularly for Nikon models. At…
Mnuchin Collection Auction Nets $181M for Pollock market-auction
At a New York auction, Jackson Pollock's masterpiece sold for $181 million, leading a sale of works from the collection of veteran dealer Robert Mnuchin. The auction also featured…
Christie's New York auction breaks $1.1 billion record market-auction
A Christie's auction in New York set a new record of $1.1 billion, signaling a booming art economy. The top lot was Jackson Pollock's Number 7A, 1948, sold for $181.2 million from…
Christie's $162.6M Sale Led by Judd Record, Richter Candle market-auction
Christie's 21st century evening sale on May 20, 2026, achieved $162.6 million with fees, just above the low estimate of $129 million. The sale featured 42 lots with a 95%…
Sotheby's Modern Art Sale Hits $303.4M, Led by Matisse market-auction
Sotheby's modern art evening sale on Tuesday night achieved $303.4 million in total sales, within its presale estimate range, despite lacking major trophy lots. The sale had a…
Tony Nominations Boost Broadway Grosses; Every Brilliant Thing Hits High market-auction
The Tony nominations have significantly boosted box office performance for several Broadway shows. Death of a Salesman, with nine nominations, grossed $1.7 million at 100%…
Swatch and Audemars Piguet's Royal Pop Pocket Watches Spark Global Frenzy market-auction
Swatch and Audemars Piguet released the Royal Pop collection on May 16, 2026, transforming the iconic Royal Oak into eight colorful Bioceramic pocket watches. Inspired by 1980s…
Christie's New York Evening Sales Hit $1.1 Billion market-auction
Christie's New York evening sales of modern and contemporary art reached $1.1 billion on May 20, 2026, significantly outperforming the previous year's results. The auction house's…
Gina Lollobrigida's Jewelry and Rare Watches at Il Ponte Casa d'Aste market-auction
Il Ponte Casa d'Aste is hosting two sales: 'Gioielli' on May 28-29 and 'Orologi da collezione' on June 4, both at Palazzo Crivelli in Milan. The jewelry auction features over a…
Saylor Buys $2B in Bitcoin, BlackRock Records $450M Outflows market-auction
Strategy Inc., under the leadership of Michael Saylor, acquired 24,869 Bitcoin for a total of $2.01 billion, averaging $80,985 per coin, which raises their overall holdings to…
Venice Effect and Christie's Records: The New Global Art Market Scenario market-auction
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by Koyo Kouoh, generated global media attention beyond the art world, followed by mega fairs Tefaf and Frieze in New…
Christie's $1B Evening Sale Features Nicole Kidman, Pollock, Brancusi market-auction
Christie's held a record-setting $1 billion evening sale on May 18, featuring works by Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi alongside Hollywood star Nicole Kidman. The event…
Christie's $1.1B Night, Dubai Digital Art Museum, Venice Biennale 2027 Theme market-auction
On May 18, 2026, Christie's set a new auction record in New York, generating $1.1 billion. Among the highlights, Jackson Pollock's Number 7A (1948) achieved $181.2 million,…
Rediscovered Fra Angelico fragment leads Pandolfini's May 2026 old masters sale in Florence market-auction
A fragment of Fra Angelico's 'Tebaide', missing for 50 years, will be auctioned by Pandolfini in Florence on May 20, 2026, with an estimate of €150,000–250,000. The work was…
Phillips Spring Sale Nets $115.2M, Up 119% Year-on-Year market-auction
On Tuesday, Phillips hosted an evening auction of modern and contemporary art that garnered $115.2 million, including fees, marking a remarkable 119% rise compared to the previous…
Phillips Spring Auction Nets $115.2M, Doubles Last Year's Result market-auction
Phillips' marquee spring auction in New York on Tuesday achieved a sold-out result, bringing in a hammer total of $91.73 million ($115.2 million with fees), more than double the…
Matisse leads Sotheby's $303.3m Modern art evening sale in New York market-auction
On May 19 in New York, Sotheby’s Modern evening auction achieved a total of $303.3 million, including fees, falling within the projected range of $244 million to $322.8 million.…
Christie's $1B Sale: Pollock Record, Kidman Hype market-auction
At Christie's May 18 evening sale, Jackson Pollock's 'Number 7A, 1948' sold for $181.2 million, nearly tripling his previous auction record. Constantin Brancusi's 'Danaïde' (c.…
Christie's Hosts Panel on Female Collectors Ahead of Marquee Week market-auction
On May 15, 2026, Christie's Rockefeller Center hosted a panel discussion led by Sarah Harrelson, who is the Editor-in-Chief of CULTURED. The talk included a lineup of collectors…
JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy's Georgetown Rowhouse Sells for $6.1M market-auction
A historic Georgetown rowhouse once home to John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy has sold for $6.1 million. The early 19th-century dwelling served as the couple's residence…
The 16 Most Expensive Artworks Ever Sold at Auction (Updated 2026) market-auction
A comprehensive list of the 16 most expensive artworks ever sold at auction, updated as of May 2026. The list is led by Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi ($450.3 million, 2017),…
Waddington's Spring Sale Features Canadian Masters and Indigenous Art market-auction
Waddington's auction house in Toronto will hold its Major Spring Sale on May 28, 2026, coinciding with its 176th anniversary. The sale comprises three sessions: Canadian &…
Christie's Rekordauktion: Pollock für 181,2 Mio. Dollar, Brancusi für 107,6 Mio. market-auction
Bei Christie's in New York erzielte das Gemälde "Number 7A, 1948" von Jackson Pollock, das aus der Sammlung von S. I. Newhouse stammt, einen Preis von 181,2 Millionen Dollar…
Shutterstock Fined $35M by FTC for Misleading Subscription Practices market-auction
Shutterstock has agreed to pay $35 million to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to settle allegations that it misled customers about subscription terms and made cancellation…
Christie's $1.1bn Newhouse and 20th Century Sales Set Records market-auction
Christie’s back-to-back evening auctions of the S.I. Newhouse collection and its 20th century evening sale in New York on May 19, 2026, achieved $1.1bn with fees, at the high end…
Pace Gallery to Represent Constantin Brancusi Estate Globally market-auction
Pace Gallery has secured global representation of the Constantin Brancusi Estate, positioning the modernist sculptor's work within the commercial framework of a leading gallery.…
Christie’s $1.1bn New York Sale Sets Records for Rothko, Pollock, Brâncuși market-auction
Christie’s achieved $1.1 billion in a single evening sale in New York, with all lots sold (white glove). Works by Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Constantin Brâncuși fetched…
Brancusi and Miró Records Fall at Christie’s Newhouse Auction market-auction
Christie’s “Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse” sale in New York achieved record prices for Constantin Brancusi and Joan Miró. Brancusi’s 1913 marble sculpture…
Pollock and Brancusi Shatter Records at Christie's Newhouse Sale market-auction
At Christie's in New York, Jackson Pollock's Number 7A (1948) fetched $181.2 million, establishing a new auction high for Abstract Expressionism. The artwork, which had an initial…
Sellers Behind $1.8B May Auctions Revealed: Mnuchin, Gund, Goodman Estates Lead market-auction
In their May auctions, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips are presenting art valued at $1.8 billion based on low estimates, marking a 50% rise from last year's $1.2 billion.…
Il Ponte Milano Sale Features Medardo Rosso to Josef Albers market-auction
Il Ponte auction house in Milan will hold Modern and Contemporary Art sales on May 26-27, 2026, featuring works from Medardo Rosso to Josef Albers. Highlights include Rosso's wax…
Pace Gallery Secures Brancusi Estate Ahead of Record $100M Auction market-auction
Pace Gallery has obtained worldwide representation for the Constantin Brancusi Estate and is set to host an exhibition in London this fall, curated by Jérôme Neutres, showcasing…
Rare 'Ocean Dream' Diamond Fetches $17.3M at Christie's Geneva market-auction
At Christie's Geneva, a stunning 5.5-carat blue-green diamond named 'Ocean Dream' fetched $17.3 million, breaking the record for fancy vivid blue-green diamonds. The final bid…
Maria Martins' 'O Impossível' Sells for Record $3.2M at Rago Auction market-auction
The first version of Maria Martins' iconic sculpture 'O Impossível' (1946) sold for US$3.2 million (approx. R$15.9 million) at Rago auction house in New Jersey, setting a new…
Sotheby's New York sales double to $433.1 million market-auction
Sotheby's achieved $433.1 million in three hours during its Thursday evening sales in New York on May 18, 2026, doubling the total from the previous year. The auction house's…
Sotheby's May Auctions Surge 132.7% to $433.1M market-auction
In under three hours, Sotheby's auctions in New York amassed $433.1 million in May, reflecting a remarkable 132.7% rise compared to the previous spring's sales, even with a…
Hitler vs Churchill: Who Was the Better Artist? market-auction
A century-old watercolour by Adolf Hitler, 'The Old Town Hall', sold at Weidler auction house in Nuremberg for £102,000. The work, dated 1914 or 1915, depicts the Munich…
1970s Italian brutalist villa by Francesco Castiglioni listed for €3M market-auction
A 650 sq m brutalist villa designed by Francesco Castiglioni in Cusano Milanino, just north of Milan, has been listed for €3,000,000 through Italy Sotheby’s International Realty.…

Browse by theme

Exhibitions
Solo shows, group exhibitions, openings, extensions, and closings in galleries, museums, and independent spaces.
Artists
Profiles, interviews, new works, residencies, collaborations, and careers of contemporary artists.
Market & Auctions
Market trends, sales, auction results, major lots, records, and analysis from Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and others.
Awards
Awards, scholarships, recognitions, nominations, and winners in the art world.
Festivals & Fairs
Art fairs, biennials, triennials, festivals and cultural manifestations — Art Basel, Frieze, TEFAF, Venice Biennale and beyond.
Institutional
Appointments, leadership changes, museum policies, funding, acquisitions and institutional strategies.
Cultural heritage
Restorations, protection, restitutions, UNESCO heritage, legislation, and conservation.
Architecture & design
Architectural projects for museums, galleries and cultural spaces, design reviews and new buildings.
Digital & new media
Digital art, NFTs, AI art, virtual reality, new technologies applied to art.
AI & Technology
Artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, AI research, tools and infrastructure — from Anthropic and OpenAI to academic papers.
Economy & Finance
Economy, finance, markets, luxury and geopolitics — macro signals that influence the art market and collecting.
Publications
Art books, catalogs, magazines, essays, and new sector publications.
Opinion & reviews
Editorials, critical reviews, analyses, commentaries, and viewpoints on the contemporary art world.
Other
Everything else — obituaries, interdisciplinary projects, and news that does not fit the main categories.