NEW YORK—Christie’s two-day sale of prints and multiples on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 realized a total of $12.2 million and was 86 percent sold by value. Of 756 lots offered, 84 percent, or 633, were sold.
The top price was $340,800, given for Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup I, 1968 (estimate: $250,000/350,000), by an American buyer. An overestimate $262,400 was paid for Marc Chagall’s “Louis Aragon, Celui qui dit les Choses sans Rien dire,” a complete album of 50 etchings and aquatints in colors, as well as an additional suite of 25 signed and numbered etchings (estimate: $180,000/220,000).
Standard Station, Mocha Station, Cheese Mold Standard with Olive, and Double Standard (four screenprints in colors) by Ed Ruscha, took $228,000 (estimate: $150,000/250,000). Says Kelly Troester, specialist head of the print department at Christie’s: “The print market proved its popular strength with a sale of more than 750 lots. American collectors and trade continue to bid aggressively for blue-chip names and images.”
American buyers accounted for eight of the top lots. Other strong prices included $180,000 each for Richard Diebenkorn’s High Green Version I, 1992 (estimate: $90,000/120,000), and Barnett Newman’s Untitled, 1961 (estimate: $60,000/80,000); as well as $156,000 for Jasper Johns’ Ale Cans, 1964. However, another Johns print, Target, sold under estimate for $168,000, against an expected $180,000/220,000. Cy Twombly’s Sketches (Bastian 12-17), 1967, was acquired by a European dealer for $156,000 (estimate: $50,000/80,000).