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Contemporary Art Day Auction

OVERVIEW

THE CONTEMPORARY ART DAY AUCTION / MORNING SESSION WILL BEGIN AT 9:30 AM

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day Auction on 14 November 2012 features a diverse mix of post-war and emerging contemporary artists.  Works by Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann, Wayne Thiebaud and Robert Indiana from the 1950s and 1960s highlight the Pop Art section of the sale.  Outstanding works by Alexander Calder, Donald Judd and Jean-Michel Basquiat are featured.  The sale is rounded out by young artists such as Wade Guyton, Beatriz Milhazes and El Anatsui.  

The works will be on public view starting 9 November in New York.

RESULTS

The Contemporary Art Day Auction brought a total of $89,058,000 well within the $69/97 million estimate with 73% of the lots sold.

Scott Nussbaum, Head of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Day sale commented: “Following last night’s record breaking Evening Sale, the Contemporary Art Day sale achieved a result of $89,058,000, over $20 million higher than the equivalent sale in May and the highest Sotheby’s sale in this category since 2008. We sold six works for over $2 million and 11 for over $1 million. The auction was led by The Birth of Venus by Andy Warhol which eclipsed the $1/1.5 million estimate to sell for $5,458,500 – the highest price ever achieved by a work in a Contemporary Day sale. Brazilian artists were particularly sought after today, with Adriana Varejao’s Trois Petites Morts selling for $1,172,500 (est. $600/800,000) and Meu Limão by Beatriz Milhazes fetching $2,098,500 to become the highest price ever for a work by an artist from Brazil.”

Highlights

Lot 176 - Andy Warhol, Birth of Venus

Hammer Price with Buyers Premium: $5,458,500

Lot 122 - Joan Mitchell, Some More

Hammer Price with Buyers Premium: $3,274,500

Lot 185 - Wayne Thiebaud, Down Penn Street

Hammer Price with Buyers Premium: $2,658,500

Lot 407 - Beatriz Milhazes, Meu Limão

Hammer Price with Buyers Premium: $2,098,500

Lot 182 - Tom Wesselmann, Great American Nude #24

Hammer Price with Buyers Premium: $2,098,500