Brancusi and Miró Records Fall at Christie’s Newhouse 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 Danaïde sold for $107,585,000, surpassing his previous record of $71 million set in 2018. Miró’s 1924 painting Portrait de Madame K. fetched $53,535,000, beating his prior auction high by over $13 million. A Jackson Pollock drip painting, Number 7A, 1948, sold for over $181 million, drawing audible reactions from the audience. Two works by Pablo Picasso also performed well: Tête de femme (1907) nearly doubled its estimate, and Tête de femme (Fernande) came close to a new record for Picasso sculpture. The 16 lots sold in just over an hour, totaling more than $630 million. The Newhouse sale was a highlight of New York Marquee Week, coinciding with NYC Design Week and fairs including TEFAF, ICFF, and Frieze.