Sotheby's London Contemporary Art Evening Sale Totals £118 Million
The contemporary art evening auction at Sotheby's London concluded with an impressive total of £118 million, marking the end of a week filled with auctions. German artists dominated the event, contributing 16 lots that amassed over £48 million. Out of 61 lots offered, 75% were making their auction debut, with only 4 remaining unsold. Year-on-year participation increased by 35%, attracting bidders from 43 different nations. The auction set five new records, including Georg Baselitz's 'Hero' fetching £7.5 million and Carol Rama's 'Arcadia (Ti amo…ti amo)' selling for £237,000. Gerhard Richter's 'Iceberg' topped the auction at £17.7 million, while Anselm Kiefer's 'Athanor' sold for £2.2 million on his 72nd birthday. Jean-Michel Basquiat's piece went for nearly £12 million, with unsold works from Albert Oehlen and Jean Dubuffet.
Key facts
- Total sales: £118 million
- German artists contributed over £48 million from 16 lots
- 75% of 61 lots were previously unsold at auction
- Only 4 lots unsold
- Bidders from 43 countries, up 35% from last year
- Five auction records set: Baselitz, Rama, Tillmans, Gertsch, Steir
- Top lot: Richter's 'Iceberg' at £17.7 million
- Basquiat sold for nearly £12 million, below £14 million estimate
Entities
Artists
- Georg Baselitz
- Carol Rama
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Franz Gertsch
- Pat Steir
- Gerhard Richter
- Anselm Kiefer
- Alexander Calder
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Christopher Wool
- Ed Ruscha
- Albert Oehlen
- Jean Dubuffet
- Cy Twombly
- Andy Warhol
- Lucio Fontana
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Christie's
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom