Record Sale at Sotheby’s
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Sotheby’s brought out the bidders for a highly successful sale of Contemporary art last night. The $315 million total was the house’s highest ever. Francis Bacon showed up strong, but Warhol, Koons, and Richter pulled their load, too. John Chamberlain, Fang Lijun, and Zhang Xioagang all set record prices. Below are the 10 highest-selling lots from the evening sale of Contemporary art at Sotheby’s. Prices include the buyers premium.
| Artist | Title | Estimate | Sale Price |
| 1. Francis Bacon | ‘Second Version of Study for Bullfight No. 1’ | N/A | $45.9M |
| 2. Francis Bacon | ‘Self-Portrait’ | N/A | $33.08M |
| 3. Jeff Koons | ‘Hanging Heart’ | $15M–$20M | $23.56M |
| 4. Andy Warhol | ‘Self Portrait (Green Camouflage)’ | $9M–$12M | $12.3M |
| 5. Mark Rothko | ‘Untitled’ | $12M–$18M | $12.08M |
| 6. Jean-Michel Basquiat | ‘Untitled (Electric Chair)’ | $8M–$10M | $11.8M |
| 7. Gerhard Richter | ‘Abstract Painting’ | $6M–$8M | $9.78M |
| 8. Andy Warhol | ‘Campbell’s Soup Can (Pepper Pot)’ | $7M–$9M | $8.44M |
| 9. Mark Rothko | ‘Untitled’ | $3.5M–$4.5M | $7.88M |
| 10. Jean-Michel Basquiat | ‘Untitled’ | $7M–$9M | $7.77M |
