Art Auction news at Art News Blog is a listing of all the posts that have discussed world art auction sales, Notable painting sales, art collecting, and auction houses news.
See also Art Collecting News

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• Vincent van Gogh Masterpiece for Auction - A painting that is believed to be one of the last few paintings that Vincent van Gogh painted will soon be put up for auction at Sotheby's. "The Fields" was was painted on the 10th of July, 1890 and the artist died on the 29th of July.
• Australian Aboriginal Art Auction - Australian Aboriginal art jumped in value this week with a Sotheby's auction in Sydney that got bidders excited.
• Art Bubbles go Pop - As records are broken on a regular basis now, most people tend to agree that we have an art bubble.. or at least an art bubble in the Impressionist/Modern/Contemporary market.
• Art Auction News Update - Here's some crazy auction news from around world..
• The Old Time by John Brack - A painting by the Australian artist John Brack sold at auction for a record price this week, making "The Old Time" the most expensive Australian painting. The painting of a ballroom dancing couple sold for about $3.3 million dollars.
• Private Viewing of a Modern Art Auction - Here's a private viewing of the May 8 Impressionist & Modern art auction in New York with David Norman of Sotheby's. Norman talks about a "resplendent" watercolor still-life by Paul Cezanne, a Rose period portrait of harlequin by Pablo Picasso, and a highly abstracted oil by Joan Miro, painted at the height of the Surrealist movement.
• Rubbish of Francis Bacon Sold at Auction - The Francis Bacon rubbish that I mentioned earlier has sold at auction for almost 1 million pounds. The studio waste from the artist was kept for nearly 30 years by an electrician (Mac Robertson) that did some work for Bacon.
• Francis Bacon Rubbish to be Auctioned - From the photos that I have seen of Francis Bacon's studio, I thought he never threw anything away. But an electrician that did some work for the artist in 1978 was lucky enough to rescue some Bacon junk from a skip.
• World Art Boom - Art Market Trends - ArtPrice puts out an annual "Art Market Trends" paper that looks into the works that are being sold at auction each year. 2006 has been a BOOM year for auction houses around the world. Here's the ArtPrice paper in PDF format.
• Five Dollars Auction on eBay - A single digit painting from the Money Series by Anthony White is currently being auctioned on eBay. The $5 painting is from the US dollars series. It was originally sold by Anthony for 5 US dollars, but the highest bid is $385 at the moment (with 6 days of bidding left).
• Most Expensive Paintings in the World - While wandering around Wikipedia I discovered a list of the most expensive paintings in the world. Their prices have been adjusted for inflation too, which is quite interesting.
• London Art Market Sales - The world art market has showed no signs of slowing down in February. Chris-toby's have had an impressive month in London with almost $500,000,000 being sold between them. Their sales included Impressionist and Modern paintings and works on paper, German and Austrian Art, and Surrealist art.
• Charity Art Auctions - ArtInfo has recently looked into the good and bad of charity art auctions. They have asked if they are the place to pick up art bargains, or are they a good place to offload lesser works?
• Rembrandt's Apostle James Makes $25 Million - A rare Rembrandt painting from the later part of his life recently sold for $25.8 million USD at Sotheby's in New York. The previous record for the artist was $28.7 million back in 2000.
• Big Numbers at Big Auction Houses - Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses recently sold close to a billion dollars worth of art in just a few days. Between the 7th and 9th of November, they sold $847,251,000 at their Impressionist and Modern sales.
• Sotheby's Contemporary Art Auction - A new marketing tool they have discovered is the use of video online. For the promotion of an upcoming contemporary art auction, there's a video now online of Tobias Meyer (Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art and Principal Auctioneer) discussing some of the important works available.
• Banksy does Kate Moss - The British graffiti artist Banksy has been getting a lot of media attention in recent months by painting elephants and tampering with Paris Hilton CDs. He pokes fun at fame and uses it to his advantage, which has been good for sales of his work.
• Hitler Paintings Auction - People came from all over to get a piece of morbid history at a recent art auction that sold 21 works "attributed" to the German dictator Adolf Hitler.
• Pablo Picasso Portrait for Auction - A painting of Angel Fernandez de Soto by his friend Pablo Picasso will soon go up for auction at Christies. It is expected to reach $60 million. The proceeds of the sale will go to the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.
• Record Brett Whiteley Price - One of my favorite artists recently broke his own sales record at a recent Sotheby's auction in Australia. The four meter wide painting by Brett Whiteley sold for $2.04 million in Sydney lastnight.
• Andy Warhol Wig - An Andy Warhol wig has sold for $10,800 at a recent film and entertainment auction by Christie's. The silver mop that was worn by Warhol also came with three pieces of toupee tape still stuck inside it.
• Most Expensive Painting by Gustav Klimt - The famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt has reportedly set a record for the most expensive painting to be sold. The 1907 iconic work "Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I" has sold for $135 million dollars.
• JMW Turner Watercolor - A watercolor painting by JMW Turner has set a new record for a British work on paper at a recent Christie's auction in London.
  The 1842 watercolor "The Blue Rigi: Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise" went for nearly three times its estimate, selling for 5.8 million pounds or about $11 million USD. Making it a record for a British work on paper.
• Most Expensive Vase - The wealthy Las Vegas casino man, Steve Wynn has shocked his critics by showing that he has a caring/giving side to him. Firstly he paid a record amount for a vase (5.5 million pounds), only to give it away.
• Contemporary Art Auctions - Sotheby's mention in a recent article that contemporary art sales are reaching the heights previously only reserved for impressionist and modern paintings. Recently departed and living artists are now frequently reaching prices above $10 million at auction.
• Mao Portrait by Zhang Zhenshi - The original portrait that was used for the Mao image in Tiananmen Square will soon go up for auction. Zhang Zhenshi painted the portrait in 1950 to celebrate the first anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
• eBay Art Fraud - eBay may be a great tool for contemporary painters to sell their work online as the paintings usually only sell for hundreds or perhaps a few thousand at most. So investors can afford to take a risk on the work.
• Dora Maar Sells for $95.2 Million - A painting of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso has sold for $95.2 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York. The estimate of $50 million was almost doubled!
• Van Gogh Painting Sells for $40 Million - A painting of the cafe owner from Arles, Madame Ginoux has made $40.3 million USD at a Christies art auction in New York recently. The 1890 painting by Vincent van Gogh was expected to reach between $40 and $50 million.
• Challenges of Being an Artist - I think in this new world of mass media, hype, and money it's all about marketing. Artists often make it difficult for themselves because they're often humble, not very business savvy, not willing to invest in themselves, or don't know anything about marketing and branding.
• Most Expensive Australian Painting - John Brack - After recently mentioning the most expensive British painting to be sold at auction ($35.8 million US dollars), Australia's most expensive painting that sold recently by John Brack doesn't sound that impressive.
• Most Expensive British Painting by JMW Turner - Joseph Mallord William Turner's painting of Venice has become the most expensive British painting to be sold at auction. The work titled "Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio", sold at Christies in New York for $35.8 million (£20.5 million), breaking the previous record for a British painting by almost $15 million.
• Anti-Abortion Cartoon Auction - This cartoon (to the left) has been posted on quite a few blogs recently, and has now been put up for auction on E-Bay. The highest bidder is currently $1,725 USD and it still has about two and half days left.
• Shakespeare Book to be Auctioned - A very rare William Shakespeare folio of plays will be auctioned off by Sotheby's in July. It is expected to make more than $6 million or £3.5 pounds.
• Auction House Christie's Closes in Australia - Christie's in Sydney and Melbourne will be closing up shop after it's last auction on April 10. The international auction house has had an Australian arm since 1969, and has returned a profit for the past 11 years, but that isn't enough to keep Christies Australia open.
• Andy Warhol Dollar Signs - Andy Warhol would be loving the recent art auction action around his art. He seemed to enjoy making money as much as he enjoyed making art, so to see his dollar sign works going for double and quadruple their auction estimates would give the man great pleasure.
• Pablo Picasso Painting of Dora Maar - An important work by Pablo Picasso of his model of nearly ten year, Dora Maar will be up for auction at Sotheby's in New York on the 3rd of May this year. It has been in private hands for 40 years and has rarely been seen by the public. It is expected to sell for around $50 million.
• Hitler's Art up for Auction - A collection of 21 watercolors and sketches by Adolf Hitler will be up for auction this coming March. The auction house Jefferys in Lostwithiel estimates that they will make up to one hundred thousand pounds from the sale.
• Photography Auction Results! - Recent photography auctions by Chris-tobys have achieved record prices. At Sotheby's a photograph by Edward Weston, titled the Breast reached an amazing $822,400 in New York, against an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000.
• Impressionist and Modern art sales, London - A new Ukrainian buyer spent over £12 million ($21 million) at Sotheby’s sales of Impressionist and Modern art on 20 June. The unidentified bidder, with paddle number LO22, secured three of the top five lots at the sale, classic works by Signac, Gauguin and Vlaminck.
• Congo - Monkey Art - Three paintings by the monkey "Congo" recently sold for more than $25,000USD. An American contemporary art collector "Howard Hong" bought the monkey paintings in London, at Bonhams auction house.
• Bella Freud by Lucian Freud - A softer, more tender nude by Lucien Freud will go up for auction at Christie's and is estimated to reach £2.2m.
• Lucien Freud Kate Moss - An unusual portrait for Lucien Freud of supermodel Kate Moss, estimated to be sold for £2,500,000-3,500,000 / $4,500,000-6,500,000 at a Christies auction has sold for 3.93 million pounds ($7.32 million).
• Chaim Soutine Auction Record -Chaim Soutine's Le pâtissier de Cagnes achieved a record at auction for the artist, raising nearly ten million (£5,048,000 / $9,449,856 / €7,344,840).
• Versace Art Sale - Gianni Versace's art collection will be auctioned off in May/June this year. The murdered fashion designer amassed a great collection of modern and contemporary works of art with decent paintings by Lichtenstein, Basquiat, Warhol and Clemente. Versace's heirs are set to pick up a cool $17+ million for the sale.
• Sotheby's Auction Update - Sotheby's failed to reach their low auction estimate of $203 million, but still managed to rake up its highest total for an Impressionism/Modern sale since 1990. The 48 paintings and sculptures made $194,289,600.. far below Sotheby's high auction estimate of $275+ million.
  
• Art Auction Excitement - Chris-toby's are whipping up plenty of excitement in the art world with some big names being auctioned off over the coming couple of weeks. The dollars that pass through the two big auction houses in the next two weeks would nearly eliminate world poverty, but it's still fun to watch from the sidelines.
• Damien Hirst - Pharmacy Auction - Damien Hirst stamps his authority on the contemporary art market with record sales at the Sotheby's, London auction.
• Contemporary art at Sotheby's - The top lot of the sale is Mark Rothko's seminal work, No. 6 (Yellow, White, Blue over Yellow on Gray) from 1954 which is estimated to sell for $9/12 million. Also included are iconic works by Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Gerhard Richter, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jeff Koons.
  
• Paul Gauguin work estimated at 40 to 50 million - A work by Paul Gauguin at the upcoming Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern art auction is set to make between 40 and 50 million dollars.
• Vendors lost $4 million on Audubon sale - Perhaps through greed?.. the sellers of "Audubon’s The birds of America" knocked back a pre-auction offer of 9 million. Instead, they took the works to auction and made less than 6 million.

Posts that have mentioned painting sales, buying art, or art auctions..

• National Gallery of Australia Kandinsky Painting - If Australia was outraged at paying $1 million for a Jackson pollock in the 70s, I can't imagine the controversy of paying $35 million for a Wassily Kandinsky painting "Sketch for Deluge II". The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) were thinking about buying the important work by the Russian expressionist/abstract painter.
• Artists Resale Rights Levy - Britain's booming contemporary art market may be affected by the new "droit de suite" tax or the artists resale rights levy when it is introduced next year. Artists or their families will receive a percentage of the sale of their work for up to 70 years after his/her death.
• Rich Art Collectors - Modern day Medicis or top billionaire art collectors according to the Forbes Business magazine.
• Artists Resale Rights Levy - Britain's booming contemporary art market may be affected by the new "droit de suite" tax or the artists resale rights levy when it is introduced next year. Artists or their families will receive a percentage of the sale of their work for up to 70 years after his/her death.
• The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living - Damien Hirst's shark is migrating to the United States from it current UK homeland.
• I see, I love, I buy - Wealthy art collectors in the United Kingdom that once only bought old masters are now happily opening up their mind and wallet to new art.
• Investing in Art Incentives - Interest free loans for those looking to buy contemporary art is one way of encouraging people to purchase art. The English Arts Council and the Scottish Arts Council are offering loans of up to 2000 pounds.
• Art Bargain.. or not - This a great idea, where student works and works by famous artists are mixed and offered anonymously at the same price. Knowing the style of the artist doesn't help either, as there are students imitating the styles of the established artists, and the established artists work in a style they don't normally use.
• Monet, Money & Art - At one time, strapped for cash, he disposed of his pictures in job lots for 25 francs each, not much more than he got for the caricatures he did at the age of 16 and sold on the streets to passers-by.
• Buying Art - I could never imagine buying a painting that I did not like, in the hope of it increasing in value. I would rather a piece of paper from the stock exchange than a painting I didn't like.
  
• Microsoft's Art Collector moves on - Michael Klein from Microsoft is leaving his job as art curator to take a new position as the director of the International Sculpture Center in New Jersey.
• Art Gallery of New South Wales Acquires Cy Twombly - The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney is delighted to announce one of most significant acquisitions the Gallery has ever made - Cy Twombly's Three studies from the Temeraire.
• 4 year old art prodigy? - A four-year-old girl is wowing the New York art world with paintings that are drawing comparisons with Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky. Marla Olmstead, from Binghamton, in New York state, has been painting since just before she was two years old.
• Sins of the flesh - François Boucher - "The prostituting of talent is something we have come to associate with contemporary art, with its seven-figure prices, its desperately competitive dealers and collectors, and its career-minded, media-savvy artists."