T his October's Contemporary Day Auction brings together a distinguished selection of post‑war and contemporary works, offering a broad and incisive view of the artistic experimentation that has shaped the past seventy years. Featuring works by leading artists such as Andy Warhol, George Condo, Cy Twombly, Annie Morris, Yoshitomo Nara, Miriam Cahn, and Yu Nishimura, the auction reflects the diverse formal and conceptual approaches that have defined the period. Coinciding with Frieze Week, Sotheby’s October offering celebrates the multiplicity and innovation of today’s art, promoting a wide range of exceptional works to both established and new collectors.
The Contemporary Day Auction also features a group of fourty-one works on paper from the collection of Count Christian Duerckheim, one of the most visionary champions of post-war German art. The selection brings together outstanding works by Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, A.R. Penck and Blinky Palermo.
Sotheby's London is delighted to present this distinguished group of forty-four works on paper from the Duerckheim Collection, a selection shaped by more than five decades of rigorous, discerning engagement with the central figures of post‑war German art. Following the success of the 2011 single‑owner sale, which set new records for German artists and significantly broadened international recognition of post‑war German practice, this new presentation underscores the collection’s continued art‑historical relevance.
Among the highlights of the group are three major works on paper by Georg Baselitz from the 1960s, each offering a direct encounter with the pictorial language forged in the artist's formative years. These works will be presented in the Contemporary Evening Auction, reflecting their importance within the broader narrative of the collection. The remaining fourty-one works will be offered within the Contemporary Day Auction, and encompass exceptional works by Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Hermann Nitsch, Blinky Palermo and AR Penck - a group that articulates, with remarkable coherence, the aesthetic and conceptual trajectories that defined a generation.
Artists featured in the Contemporary Day Auction currently on view in leading institutional exhibitions worldwide.
From Warhol's exploration consumerism and fame to Banksy's sharp social commentary, this curated group of works reflects the enduring power of the image. United by innovation and influence, these artists have each redefined the visual landscape of their time.
The Arts Foundation has been instrumental in nurturing Britain's most visionary artists and creative minds at pivotal moments in their careers, enabling them to concentrate on their creative development, experiment, and realise their artistic potential. Founded in 1993, it has awarded over £2 million in unconditional funding as part of its annual fellowship programme, the Arts Foundation Futures Awards. This financial support has proven transformative not merely for individual practitioners, but for the cultural landscape itself.
The fellowship recognises a fundamental truth: that art of enduring significance requires space for experimentation, freedom from financial precarity, and the conviction that an artist's vision matters. The Arts Foundation recently increased its annual fellowship award to £20,000, with all shortlisted artists receiving £1,000 towards the development of their practice, a decisive response to the cost of living crisis and a commitment to the development of artistic practice in the UK. This auction represents an investment in cultural continuity. Your support enables the next generation of artistic pioneers, those who create without compromise.
