Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1982.
20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York.
Sold for $85,000,000.
The Highest Achieving Lot in Phillips’ History
Phillips won the 2022 World Luxury Award Monaco for the campaign Basquiat, Untitled.
In the highest performing sale in company history and one of the most exciting moments thus far at 432 Park Avenue, Phillips offered Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled from the esteemed collection of Yusaki Maezawa. From a seminal and desirable period in the artist’s career, the almost eight feet tall and over 16 feet wide painting achieved an equally vast price — a 50% increase from the painting’s last sale in 2016 and the third highest price achieved for a Basquiat at auction.
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Paddles Up for Independent Watchmaking
George Daniels, A unique, historically important double sided yellow gold wristwatch with power reserve, day, and date, 1992. The Geneva Watch Auction: XVI. Sold for CHF 4,083,500
Remaining in George Daniels’ personal collection for many years, this watch represents his complete vision of craft — every component of the watch handmade with meaning and purpose — and is one of only two made entirely by his hand.
Enthusiasm led to an intense bidding war, after which the watch soared above its estimate of CHF 1 million, selling to a bidder in the room for CHF 4,083,500 — marking the highest price ever achieved for a wristwatch by a British maker and the second highest price achieved at auction for an independent watchmaker.
Simply Flawless
Exceptional and Impressive Unmounted Diamond, 1992. Jewels and Jadeite Hong Kong. Sold for HK$19,610,000.
Spirited bidding from around the world pushed the price of this remarkable brilliant-cut diamond upward. Impressively weighing 26.12 carats, it is the most desired color of colorless diamond and is classified as Type lla — the most chemically pure diamond type, with exceptional transparency. In a word, it is perfect.
Warhol Pops Again
Andy Warhol, Flowers (F. & S. 64-73), 2006. Editions & Works on Paper New York. Sold for $1,482,000.
Rarely encountered as the complete portfolio of screenprints, Andy Warhol’s iconic Flowers are highly desirable and exemplary illustrations of the artist’s style. As the highest achieving lot this year in Editions, Flowers drew enthusiastic bidding, helping the department achieve its highest annual total in its fourteen-year history.
A New Beatles Record
Richard Avedon, The Beatles Portfolio: John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, London, 1967. Photographs London. Sold for £809,000.
Indelible images that define the culture of the late 60’s, Avedon’s portraits of the four Beatles reached new heights in 2022. The Beatles Portfolio hammered at the highest price realized for any work in a Phillips London Photographs auction.
Bidding for the Bone
Joris Laarman, “Bone” chair, 2006. Design New York. Sold for $630,000
Seeming to organically emerge from the floor, Joris Laarman designed the Bone chair using modeling software that simulates the natural growth patterns of bones and trees. Desire for the Bone chair’s curiously original form drew competitive bidding that achieved the highest price in the department this year — a testament to the leadership of Phillips in the contemporary design market.
Discover — Our Top 10 Lots Overall
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1982. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $85,000,000.
Cy Twombly, Untitled, 2005. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $41,640,000.
Yves Klein, Relief Éponge bleu sans titre (RE 49), 1961. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $19,999,500.
Alexander Calder, 39=50, 1959. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $15,648,500.
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild (774-1),1992. 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in association with Yongle Hong Kong. Sold for HK$89,375,000.
Yayoi Kusama, Untitled (Nets), 1959. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $10,496,000.
Pablo Picasso, Figures et plante, 1932. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $10,267,000.
Roy Lichtenstein, Nude, 1997. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $10,267,000.
Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Circus No. 12 Face 44.30), 2014. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $9,809,000.
Andy Warhol, The Star (Greta Garbo as Mata Hari), 1981. 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York. Sold for $9,580,000.
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