Sotheby's and Phillips May 2025 New York Auctions: Giacometti Fails, Records Set
On May 13, 2025, Sotheby's auction in New York featured Alberto Giacometti's bronze sculpture 'Grande tête mince (Grande tête de Diego),' which was estimated to fetch $70 million but ultimately did not sell, with bids halting at $64.2 million. CEO Charles Stewart referred to the event as 'an organic and genuine auction moment.' The Modern Evening Auction achieved a total of $196,225,600, falling short of projections between $240.3 and $318.7 million, with 10 out of 60 lots remaining unsold. The highest sale was Pablo Picasso's 'Homme assis' (1969) at $15.1 million. Phillips' Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale garnered $51,952,350, a decline from $86.3 million in 2024, highlighted by Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Untitled' (1984) selling for $6.59 million. Christie's is set for May 14, followed by Sotheby's on May 15.
Key facts
- Alberto Giacometti's 'Grande tête mince (Grande tête de Diego)' failed to sell at Sotheby's on May 13, 2025, with a $70 million estimate.
- Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction totaled $196,225,600, below estimates of $240.3–318.7 million.
- Pablo Picasso's 'Homme assis' (1969) sold for $15.1 million, the top lot of Sotheby's sale.
- A Frank Lloyd Wright lamp set a record at $7.5 million (estimate $3–5 million).
- Phillips' Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale totaled $51,952,350, down from $86.3 million in 2024.
- Five new records were set at Phillips for Ilana Savdie, Olga de Amaral, Kiki Kogelnik, James Turrell, and Grace Hartigan.
- Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Untitled' (1984), ex-David Bowie, sold for $6.59 million at Phillips.
- Upcoming auctions include Christie's 21st Century Evening Sale on May 14 and Sotheby's Barbara Gladstone and Daniella Luxembourg collections on May 15, 2025.
Entities
Artists
- Alberto Giacometti
- Diego Giacometti
- Pablo Picasso
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Fernand Léger
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- David Bowie
- Ed Ruscha
- Donald Judd
- Le Corbusier
- George Condo
- Ilana Savdie
- Olga de Amaral
- Kiki Kogelnik
- James Turrell
- Grace Hartigan
- Andy Warhol
- René Magritte
- Piet Mondrian
- Barbara Gladstone
- Daniella Luxembourg
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Phillips
- Christie's
- Soloviev Foundation
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- United States