ARTnewsletter

Contemporary Art Surges Forward at Summer Sales

NEW YORK—Sales of Postwar and contemporary art at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips, de Pury & Company in London June 29–July 2 totaled £262.2 million ($522.4 million), up from £221.6 million ($441.5 million) the previous year. Read more...

Christie’s Scales Back and Scores Record $172M Postwar Sale

LONDON—Christie’s achieved its highest total for a contemporary-art sale in Europe on June 30 when its evening sale realized £86.2 million ($171.9 million). Read more...

Sotheby’s Auction Ends Week on a Buoyant Note

LONDON—The Postwar and contemporary sales concluded on a high note. Read more...

Bacon Prices Soar as Collectors Catch Up to Critics

NEW YORK—Even amid the substantial growth of the contemporary-art market in recent years, skyrocketing prices for the work of Francis Bacon stand out as some of the ¬highest-recorded and fastest-rising at auctions. Read more...

New Highs But Many Buy-Ins at Phillips

LONDON—Phillips de Pury & Company kicked off the contemporary-art auctions with a concert by rock star Patti Smith, but at the sale on June 29 a large 1979 portrait of her by Swiss artist Franz Gertsch, estimated at £1.5 million/2 million ($3 million/4 million), failed to sell. Read more...

Robust Demand, Discerning Bids Mark Old Master Sales

LONDON—With auction prices for contemporary art still somewhere in the stratosphere, it often felt like catch-up time at the Old Master sales held in London July 8–10. Read more...

Mixed Results at Sotheby’s Paris Imp/Mod Sale

PARIS—Sotheby’s 51-lot evening sale of Impressionist and modern art on July 2 totaled E11.5 million ($18.2 million), the firm’s most lucrative sale in this category to date in continental Europe—highlighting “the continued rise of Paris as a global selling center,” in the words of vice president and head of Impressionist and modern art, Andrew Strauss. Read more...

Gupta, Raza Star at Saffronart Sale

NEW YORK—Online auctioneer Saffronart, which specializes in modern and contemporary Indian art, reported that its June sale realized $9.7 mil¬lion, its highest total to date. Read more...


Login Email Address: Password: Forgot your password? Subscribe Today Subscribe to ARTnewsletter today! As an added bonus you will receive free access to the searchable archive, and downloadable PDF versions of each issue.	Welcome to ARTnewsletter Written by the editors of ARTnews, the oldest and most widely-read fine arts magazine in the world, ARTnewsletter is a timely, topical, biweekly report on the art market. It is the indispensable resource for art professionals and serious collectors who need to follow art trends throughout the world. PLEASE NOTE: The next ARTnewsletter will be published September 2, 2008. Inside the Current Issue Contemporary Art Surges Forward at Summer Sales NEW YORK—Sales of Postwar and contemporary art at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips, de Pury & Company in London June 29–July 2 totaled £262.2 million ($522.4 million), up from £221.6 million ($441.5 million) the previous year. Read more... Christie’s Scales Back and Scores Record $172M Postwar Sale LONDON—Christie’s achieved its highest total for a contemporary-art sale in Europe on June 30 when its evening sale realized £86.2 million ($171.9 million). Read more... Sotheby’s Auction Ends Week on a Buoyant Note LONDON—The Postwar and contemporary sales concluded on a high note. Read more... Bacon Prices Soar as Collectors Catch Up to Critics NEW YORK—Even amid the substantial growth of the contemporary-art market in recent years, skyrocketing prices for the work of Francis Bacon stand out as some of the ¬highest-recorded and fastest-rising at auctions. Read more... New Highs But Many Buy-Ins at Phillips LONDON—Phillips de Pury & Company kicked off the contemporary-art auctions with a concert by rock star Patti Smith, but at the sale on June 29 a large 1979 portrait of her by Swiss artist Franz Gertsch, estimated at £1.5 million/2 million ($3 million/4 million), failed to sell. Read more... Robust Demand, Discerning Bids Mark Old Master Sales LONDON—With auction prices for contemporary art still somewhere in the stratosphere, it often felt like catch-up time at the Old Master sales held in London July 8–10. Read more... Mixed Results at Sotheby’s Paris Imp/Mod Sale PARIS—Sotheby’s 51-lot evening sale of Impressionist and modern art on July 2 totaled E11.5 million ($18.2 million), the firm’s most lucrative sale in this category to date in continental Europe—highlighting “the continued rise of Paris as a global selling center,” in the words of vice president and head of Impressionist and modern art, Andrew Strauss. Read more... Gupta, Raza Star at Saffronart Sale NEW YORK—Online auctioneer Saffronart, which specializes in modern and contemporary Indian art, reported that its June sale realized $9.7 mil¬lion, its highest total to date. Read more...