Collectors bid with confidence at this evening’s auction of Contemporary Art, a strong sale in which $276.6 million of art traded hands in just over two hours. All but 4 of the 64 lots offered found buyers in an auction dominated by the spectacular array of 25 paintings collected by Steven and Ann Ames over the course of an equal number of years. That Gerhard Richter reigns supreme as the most sought-after living artist was confirmed tonight – five of his canvases in the Ames collection brought a total of $75.6 million; another $25 million was attributable to a group of heroic abstractions by Richter’s forerunner, Willem de Kooning, which also adorned the Ames’ spectacular Manhattan apartment. Click through to see the top 10 highlights from the sale, including two Andy Warhols and a David Hockney.
