The spring season of the large auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s in New York will begin on May 13 and will include works by 20th and 21st century creators such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michael Basquiat.
Christie’slike Sotheby’sexhibit numerous museum-worthy pieces free of charge until the day of the auctions at their respective headquarters in the Big Apple, with Starting prices from tens of thousands of dollars to 50 million (46.4 million euros)according to the most optimistic estimates.
This season, Christie’s offers the late businesswoman’s Latin art collection Rose of the Cross, on May 14, with works by Félix González-Torres, among others; in addition to its usual auction of 21st century artists, also on May 14; and the 20th century auction, on May 16.
For its part, Sotheby’s will offer its auctions on May 13 and 15, among which works by Warhol either Basquiatin addition to “the most important selection of Joan Mitchell that has seen the light”, according to the house, or ‘Portrait of George Dyer Crouching’ by Francis Beacon, a portrait of his lover.
Christie’s estimates that its 21st century auction alone, consisting of a total of 35 works, will generate more than $100 million.
It includes the painting ‘Event’, by the American Brice Marden ($30-50 million); another of Jean-Michael Basquiat, ‘The Italian Version of Popeye has no Pork in his Diet’ (30 million); and two canvases – ‘Mumbaphilia’ and ‘Fever graph’ – by the Ethiopian-American Julie Mehretu (5-7 million).
This house’s 20th century auction will include Impressionist, modernist and post-war works, with a range of unique artists ranging from Andy Warhol to Pablo Picassogoing by Alberto Giacometti, Georgia O’Keefe, David Hockney and René Magritte.
One of the jewels in the crown is the painting ‘Coin in a garden with papillons’ (1887), by Vincent Van Gogh (28-35 million), in which the Dutch painter “began to show his unique seal and revealed the transition of his style,” Imogen Kerr, one of the curators of the auction, told the media today, according to the Efe agency.
It’s not far behind either. ‘Flowers’ (1964), by Warhol (20-30 million)the “confirmation that the artist was leaving obscurity and heading towards a new era,” highlighted another curator, Emily Kaplan.
In addition, they will go on sale three paintings by Picassothe main one of them ‘Femme au chapeau assise’ (1971), painted in the town of Mougins (France), and also in the range of 20-30 million.
After reaching record prices in 2021, The art market is in an uncertain situation evident last year, when Global sales at auctions of all categories fell 27% compared to 2022according to a report on the sector by Bank of America.
