Sotheby's London Auctions: Mixed Results with Record for Yiadom-Boakye

Sotheby's London held two contemporary art auctions in October 2023. The Now auction, featuring 21 lots of ultra-contemporary works, achieved £15.5 million, exceeding the high estimate of £13.6 million and up 75% from the previous June. A new record was set for Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's Six Bid in the bush at £2.95 million, also a record for a British Black female artist. Other records included Mohammed Sami (Poor Folk, £559,000) and Matt Connors (Untitled, £127,000). All 14 works by female artists sold. The Contemporary auction, focusing on established artists, totaled £30.1 million against an estimate of £40-58 million. The top lot was Francis Bacon's Study for a Portrait at £4.3 million. Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild (1986) failed to sell, with bids stopping at £14.5 million against an estimate of £16-24 million. Five lots were withdrawn, including works by Christopher Wool and Jeff Koons. Nine lots sold below estimate, eight within, and two above: Andy Warhol's Diamond Dusty Shoes at £2.7 million (estimate £1.8 million) and El Anatsui's Dexterity at £850,000 (estimate £700,000). A new record was set for Frank Bowling's Moby Dick at £762,000. American collectors dominated bidding, followed by Asian collectors.