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# Historic Night at Christie's as 12 Post-War Artists Set Records, Biggest Sale in History
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/record-night-at-christies-as-12-post-war-artists-set-auction-records/
- Published: 2013-05-16T01:20:41.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:35:19.000Z
- Description: Tonight, auction world records have been set for 12 artists at Christie's contemporary evening sale in New York, including records for Basquiat, Pollock, de Kooning, Noland, Guston, and Lichtenstein.
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: News, Auctions, Christie's, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:59 (2012, 2013, part 2)

![The happy auctioneer dance (as imaginatively gif'd by the author).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/auctioneer-dance-christies-500.gif)

The happy auctioneer dance (as imaginatively gif’d by the author based on the Christie’s livestream of auctioneer Jussi Pylkkanen).

Tonight, auction world records have been set for 12 artists at Christie’s [Post-War and Contemporary evening sale](http://www.christies.com/sales/post-war-contemporary-new-york-may-2013/evening-sale.aspx?ref=hyperallergic.com) in New York. The auction brought in $495 million, making it the highest total in auction history, according to the [auction house](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334842249210916865?ref=hyperallergic.com).

So, if you were wondering where a lot of the money is …

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.50.47 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-50-47-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334814446046285824?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Dustheads” (1982) raked in $48,843,750, even though the estimate was $25–35m. You may be interested to know that this work was in the recent Gagosian show in Chelsea.

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.51.41 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-51-41-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334815637555785729?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Luc Tuymans’ “Rumour” (2001) scored $2,699,750 (est. $1.4–1.8m).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.52.28 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-52-28-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334818849977430016?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Jackson Pollock’s “Number 19, 1948” (1948) hit $58,363,750 after an estimate of $25–35m.

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.52.59 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-52-59-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334819934871900160?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Joseph Cornell’s “Magic Soap Bubble Set” (1940) realized $4,827,750 (est. $500–700k).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.53.28 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-53-28-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334820739041619968?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Hans Hofmann’s “Beatae Memoriae” (1964) realized $4,827,750 (est. $2–3m).

![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.43.31 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-43-31-pm.png)

Philip Guston’s “To Fellini” (1958) realized $25,883,750 (est. $8–12m).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.49.25 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-49-25-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334823379951575040?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Kenneth Noland’s “Circle” (1958) snagged $2,139,750 (est. $900k–1.2m).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.48.51 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-48-51-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334826940169084928?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Roy Lichtenstein’s “Woman with Flowered Hat” (1963) realized $56,123,750 (strangely there was no public estimate).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.48.09 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-48-09-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334832724567281665?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Julie Mehretu’s “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation” (2001) shot past its estimate ($1.4–1.8m) to bring in $4,603,750.

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.47.33 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-47-33-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334834552520454146?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Richard Serra’s “L.A. Cone” (1986) hammered in at $4,267,750 (est. $1.5-2m).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.46.40 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-46-40-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334835441087954944?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Ruth Asawa’s “Untitled” (late 1960s) realized $1,443,750 (est. $250–350k).

[![Screen Shot 2013-05-15 at 9.45.34 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/05/screen-shot-2013-05-15-at-9-45-34-pm.png)](https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/334836540360495104?ref=hyperallergic.com)

Piero Manzoni’s “Achrome” (1958) brought in $14,123,750 (est. $6–9m).