(Paris) As the big autumn sales in New York come to an end, 2022 is already a record year in terms of mega art auctions. Here is a summary in figures of this exceptional vintage in the auction rooms.
Fifty-two mega-auctions, record smashed
The year 2022 is by far the most prolific year in mega-auctions.
Since the beginning of the year, 52 works have exceeded 30 million dollars, while the previous record stood at 36 in 2015, according to a database maintained by AFP. Twenty-four works exceeded 50 million, erasing the record of 15 works in 2014. The 100 million mark was crossed six times, while it had never been more than three times in the same year.
A 195 million Warhol
This year, it is a famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol, auctioned in May by Christie’s, which sold the most expensive, at 195 million dollars. This is the second largest auction in history, behind the Salvator Mundi awarded to Leonardo da Vinci (450.3 million in 2017).
But this work by Warhol is not the only one to have panicked the counters, since three works sold in 2022 rank in the historic Top 10 of art auctions. Besides the Warhol, The installerspointillist masterpiece by Georges Seurat, ranks 6e to 149.2 million, while The Sainte-Victoire mountain by Paul Cézanne ranks 10e to 137.8 million.
The Paul Allen collection at 1.6 billion
These last two works were sold during the exceptional sale at Christie’s in New York of the collection of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. This two-stage sale, on November 9 and 10, shattered the record for the most expensive collection at auction, reaching $1.62 billion.
The previous record only dated from the spring of 2022, with the sale at Sotheby’s in New York of the Macklowe collection, named after a wealthy New York couple, which had reached 922 million dollars.
New York, capital of mega-auctions
These two exceptional sales establish New York’s domination of art auctions.
Of the 52 works auctioned at more than 30 million in 2022, 42 were in New York (more than 80%), which is well ahead of London (8 works) and Hong Kong (2 works). Historically, nearly 73% of mega-auctions have taken place in New York, mainly at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Claude Monet is popular
Claude Monet is the 2022 mega-auction champion, with 8 works over 30 million. Never had an artist recorded more than six in the same year.
The impressionist master is ahead of Francis Bacon (4), Pablo Picasso and Marc Rothko (3).
These artists illustrate the hegemony of Western impressionist, modern and contemporary art, which historically accounts for 89% of auctions at more than 30 million. This year again, they represent 94% of mega-auctions (49 out of 52). Only two Asian works and one Old Master exceeded 30 million in 2022.
Many artist records
Many artists broke their auction record this year.
This is particularly the case of Andy Warhol, Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne mentioned above, but also of Vincent Van Gogh (117.2 million dollars), Paul Gauguin (105.7 million), Gustav Klimt (104.6 million ), Lucian Freud (86.3 million), René Magritte (79.2 million), Piet Mondrian (51 million), Edgar Degas (41.6 million) and Paul Signac (39.3 million).
No women on the 2022 list
No woman’s work exceeded 30 million this year.
In history, only three female works have crossed this threshold, signed Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo and Louise Bourgeois. Georgia O’Keeffe holds the auction record for a woman, with a work auctioned at 44.4 million in 2014.