Sotheby’s announced that a Monet masterpiece fetched nearly $35 million at auction on the evening of May 15, marking a robust beginning to New York’s spring art sales.
Sotheby’s and Christie’s kicked off their spring season on Monday. Despite a softening global art market last year, strong sales in London and Paris have instilled optimism for 2024.
Claude Monet’s “Meules à Giverny,” painted in 1893 and part of his iconic haystack series, ignited a bidding war and ultimately sold for $34.8 million.
In a parallel success, British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington surpassed her own auction record as her “Les Distractions de Dagobert” commanded $28.5 million. This achievement positions Carrington among the top five most valuable women artists at auction, as well as among the top four surrealist artists, “surpassing Max Ernst and Salvador Dali,” according to Sotheby’s.
Christie’s also achieved notable success, with contemporary art sales totaling around $115 million the preceding evening, including a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting sold for $32 million.
At Phillips auction house, Basquiat’s “Untitled (ELMAR)” achieved a remarkable sale price of $46.5 million.
