Contemporary Art Shines in $33.6M Sales at Sotheby's New York

The Abrams Family Collection: $13.1 million, comfortably towards its presale high estimate (est. $10 - 14.1m) 

–Strong sell through rate of 96.3% 
–Nearly half of works sold above their high estimate
–Fresh to market works represented 98% of the sale total (nearly 90% of works offered made their auction debut) 
–Bidding from participants in more than 19 countries

Contemporary Curated: $20.5 million (est. $17 - 25 million)

–Strong sell through rate of 84% 
–Over one third of works sold above their high estimate 
–Bidding from participants in more than 36 countries 
–Works from curator Rich Paul's edit 100% sold; achieved nearly $1.4 million 

Today’s live sale totaled $13.1 million (est. $10-14.1m), with a strong sell through rate of 96.3%, driven by fresh to market works that remained in The Abrams Family Collection for decades.

A multigenerational collecting effort assembled by renowned art book publishers and collectors Harry N. Abrams and Robert E. Abrams, the father and son amassed a collection featuring pioneering works by the artists they championed through collecting and publishing. Collectors competed for innovative sculpture (Isamu Noguchi’s Study for Energy Void, sold for $4.7million), works by avant garde women artists that pushed the boundaries of art in the 1960s (Mary Bauermeister’s Trichterrelief sold for $264,000 - the second highest price for the artist at auction), and groundbreaking Pop art (Frank Stella’s Fickle Fay Creep, sold for $300,000).

The sale also displayed growing enthusiasm for works by George Segal ($456,000, est. $200-300,000), Allan D’Arcangelo ($384,000, est. $100-150,000), and Richard Lindner ($396,000, est. $300-400,000).

Additional works from the collection will be offered in Art Without Boundaries: The Abrams Family Collection Online Sale, open for bidding now through 30 September. Please see breakdown of today’s results below:

Demand for Icons of Pop

–Competition between bidders in the room, phones, and online drove Frank Stella's Fickle Fay Creep to sell for $300,000 - well-exceeding its $200,000 high estimate 
–Following a bidding battle, Allan D'Arcangelo's Guard Rail made $384,000, more than double its high estimate 

Avant Garde Women Artists 

–After a three minute bidding battle, Mary Bauermeister's rare Trichterrelief sold for $264,000 - the second highest price for the artist at auction
–A  key early sculpture by Marisol, The Bicycle Race reached $456,000, surpassing its $350,000 high estimate 

Innovative Sculpture 

After remaining in the Abrams Family Collection for more than four decades, Isamu Noguchi's Study for Energy Void sold for $4.7 million in its auction debut 

Figuration

–A rare example of a nude sitter, Joan by Alex Katz reached $1.4 million
–Bob Thompson’s vibrant Nativity Scene achieved $870,000 in its auction debut, surpassing its $700,000 high estimate

Today’s live sale totaled $20.5 million (est. $17-25 million) with a strong sell-through rate of 84%. This result underscores the strength of mid-season sales, demonstrating a sustained appetite for exceptional works outside the marquee auction calendar.

Notably, the sale featured a selection of superlative artworks curated by powerhouse sports agent Rich Paul, who lent his curatorial eye to a diverse range of works, encompassing both abstraction and figuration. The collection highlighted several Black American artists central to his personal Contemporary collection, reflecting his commitment to representation as a board member of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Works from Rich’s edit were 100% sold, and achieved nearly $1.4 million. Please see breakdown of today’s top results below:

Standout Lots:

–Ruth Asawa’s Untitled (S.467, Hanging Four-Lobed Continuous Form with a Sphere in the Second Lobe)sold for $4.1 million - among the most valuable works in Curated history and the fourth highest price for the artist
–Following a bidding battle, Fernando Botero’s The House of Ana Molina achieved over $1.1m - surpassing its $600,000 high estimate
–Elaine de Kooning’s Vestibule Killing achieved over $400,000 - more than double its $200,000 low estimate

Closing Out a Successful Week at Sotheby’s Around the Globe

Today’s New York auctions close out a successful week of sales at Sotheby’s around the globe.

In London earlier this week, ‘Currents’ a new sale series bringing together works from a number of key categories (Prints & Multiples, Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art, and Contemporary African Art) achieved a further £16.7m ($22.3m), with strong sell through rates (as high as 90% in the case of South Asian Art) and performance against top estimate, and with a number of works outperforming top estimate by a wide margin, not least Maqbool Fida Husain’s Untitled (Reincarnation) from 1957, which made a record £2.4m against and estimate of £300,000-500,000.

The exhibitions were complemented by one of a completely different kind - a newly-created durational piece, conceived by visionary musician, dancer and multi-disciplinary dancer FKA twigs. The much-anticipated event - a first for Sotheby’s which had never in its 280-year history presented an artwork like this - drew some 6,500 visitors to the company’s galleries in New Bond Street, with queues at times snaking around the Mayfair block.

Last week's Asian Art sales in New York were highlighted by the Zhou Zha Hu in the Chinese Art sale, an extraordinary bronze ritual wine vessel that achieved an impressive $5.4 million—representing 180% of its pre-sale low estimate. This remarkable result makes it the second-highest priced Chinese work of art sold this year.

Sotheby's mid season sales of modern and contemporary art are ongoing through next week, featuring Modern Discoveries and Contemporary Discoveries. Explore the full sale calendar here.