News

For  the  first  six  months of 2013  Christie's realised  worldwide  sales  of  2.4 Billion GBP ($3.68  billion), up  9% on the same period last year  (figures include buyer's premium). 

This result, which included private sales of 465.2 million GBP ($711.8  million), an increase of 13% on the same period last year, and for the third successive  year represented the highest total for the period in both company and art market history.

This period witnessed significant growth  in the activity of both new and established Asian clients,  including  a 15% growth  of  registered  bidders  from  the  region.

“The art market is expanding at all levels. The first half of this year saw Christie's hold the most successful art auction  in history with the $495 million sale of Post War and Contemporary Art, while also seeing that 45% of all buyers at our E -commerce auctions were entirely new clients”, said Steven P. Murphy, Christie's Chief  Executive Officer.

Overall,  Christie's sold 422  works  at auction for over $1 million (399  in the same period 2012) and 34 for over $10 million (30 in the same period 2012).  The global selling  rate (by lot) was 80%, up 1% on 2012.

The strongest increase in selling rates was seen for works between $5,000 and $30,000, and works over $1 million, both of which increased  by 4%.. Clients from continental Europe and the Americas accounted for 76% of sale registrations. The number of clients from Asia increased by 15%, representing  23% of all registrations (+4%). There was increased participation of  collectors from Greater China at global sale sites, including a 32% increase in Hong Kong and a 21% increase at London sales.

Post-War  & Contemporary art led the categories with  record  auction sales of 665.4     million GBP ($1.02  billion)  –  a 16%  increase  on  the  same  period  last  year. The category saw increased demand at every level, with  a 52% increase in new clients  bidding  for works of art under 100,000 GBP. The  Post-War  &  Contemporary Art  Evening  Auction  in  New  York  on  15  May  realised  $495  million  (326.7million GBP)  becoming  the  most  valuable  art  auction  ever  held. 

Notable  increases were  also  seen  for  Asian  Art  which  realised  auction  sales  of  284.5  million  GBP ($435.3  million)  (+28%); and  Old  Masters  &  19th  Century  Art  which  totalled 78.4 million GBP ($120  million)  (+9%). 

The highest  auction  price  for the  first half of the  year at Christie's was  paid for Jackson Pollock's Number 19 which sold on 15 May in New York for $58,363,750 (38,520,075 gbp). Private sales continued to represent a growing market realizing  465.2  million GBP ($711.8 million), an increase of 13%  on the same period last year.

TOP SALES FOR CHRISTIE'S  - 1 January to 30 June 2013

$58,363,750  £38,520,075 Jackson Pollock, Number 19 oil and enamel on paper mounted on canvas  Painted in 1948 WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST New York 15 May 2013

$56,123,750  £37,041,675 Roy Lichtenstein, Woman with Flowered Hat Magna on canvas  Painted in 1963  WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST New York 15 May 2013

$48,843,750  £32,236,875 Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dustheads acrylic, oilstick, spray enamel and metallic paint on canvas Painted in 1982  WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST New York 15 May 2013

$42,104,835 £26,921,250 Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920), Jeanne Hébuterne (au chapeau) Painted 1919 London 6 February  2013

$39,323,750 £25,560,438 The Princie Diamond A cushion-cut fancy intense pink Golconda diamond of 34.65  cts. $1,135,000 per carat WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A GOLCONDA  DIAMOND MOST EXPENSIVE DIAMOND EVER SOLD AT CHRISTIE'S AND IN THE UNITED STATES New York 16 April 2013

$28,974,511 £18,765,875 Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), Untitled diptych--acrylic and oilstick on panel Executed in 1982 London 25 June 2013

$27,003,750  £17,822,475 Mark Rothko, Untitled (Black on Maroon) oil on canvas Painted in 1958 New York 15 May 2013

$26,737,913 £17,602,312 ‘Winston Legacy' A pear-shaped D colour, Flawless diamond of  101.73 cts $254,400 per carat  WORLD AUCTION RECORD PRICE FOR A  COLOURLESS DIAMOND Geneva 15 May 2013

$25,883,750  £17,083,275 Philip Guston, To Fellini  oil on canvas Painted in 1958  WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST New York 15 May 2013

$23,643,750 £15,604,875Roy Lichtenstein, Nude with Yellow Flower oil and Magna on canvas Painted in 1994 New York 15 May 2013

$19,163,750  £12,648,075 Edward Hopper, Blackwell's Island  oil on canvas, Painted in 1928 27-28 May 2013

Fine Chinese Modern Paintings auction, Hong  Kong

$10,426,045  £6,923,860 Zhang Daqian,  Lotus A set of four hanging scrolls, ink and colour on paper 20 th Century 21 – 22 March 2013

Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part auction,  New York, Rockefeller Plaza

$9,083,750 £5,995,275 A magnificent and very rare massive Huanghuali Plank-Top  Pedestal Table, Jiaji'an 17 th /18 th Century  WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR  HUANGHUALI FURNITURE 31 January 2013

Old Master & Early British  Drawings & Watercolors  auction, New York, Rockefeller Plaza

$6,130,500  £3,862,215 Claude Lorrain, A wooded landscape pen and brown ink, brown wash heightened with white on  blue paper, brown ink framing lines WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST 21 March 2013

Old Master and  Contemporary Prints auction,  London, King Street

$3,220,017 £2,133,875  Edvard Munch (1863–1944), Young Woman on the Beach,  1891-1892  A NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A  PRINT BY THE ARTIST 12 June 2013

Valuable Printed Books and  Manuscripts London, King Street

$1,843,725 £1,181,875  Vergilius Maro, Publius (70-19 B.C.).  Opera (Bucolica, Georgica, Aeneid, with argumenta). Venice: Vindelinus de Spira, 1470 13 May 2013

Important Watches, Including A Gentleman's Pursuit for Excellence, Part II Geneva