The spectacular 20th-century art auction by Christie’s in New York has reignited attention on the market, thanks to strong growth results and prudent estimates.
Christie’s: a $690 million auction
The auction house Christie’s kicked off the fall season on November 17, 2025 in New York with a long evening in two parts. First, a selected core of works from the collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis, then a main catalog of 61 lots dedicated to 20th-century art.
The atmosphere in the Rockefeller Center room was vibrant, with a large and participative audience. Although many works were covered by third-party guarantees, there were no shortages of aggressive bids and lively competition, even among those present in the room.
The first tranche, dedicated to the Weis collection, included 18 works: 15 with external guarantees and 3 directly supported by Christie’s.
Two of the latter did not reach the minimum price and will therefore remain the property of the house. Overall, the section totaled $218 million, against expectations between $182 and $226 million.
Why was the Weis collection crucial for the result?
The main lot of the collection was the painting by Mark Rothko, No. 31 Yellow Stripe (1958), presented with an estimate exceeding $50 million. The estimates, as usual, did not include commissions, while the final prices did.
Auctioneer Adrien Meyer opened the bids around $38 million. Within seconds, global president Alex Rotter raised the figure to $42 million on behalf of a phone buyer, immediately signaling strong international interest.
The bidding quickly continued up to a hammer price of $53.5 million, thanks also to phone bids managed by Katharine Arnold, vice chairman of Christie’s. Meyer repeatedly mentioned a tenacious online bidder from Connecticut, who remained in the race almost until the end. With auction fees, the final price reached $62.2 million.
According to art law attorney and specialist Thomas Danziger, the evening’s success is also due to calibrated valuations. In his opinion, estimates in line with current levels and prudent reserves represent a decisive combination today to ensure a good outcome for auctions.
What results did the main sale achieve?
The evening sale dedicated to 20th-century art had overall expectations between $358 and $533 million. The final total reached $471.7 million, to which the $218 million from the Weis collection is added for a total of about $690 million, including premiums.
The result significantly surpasses the $486 million recorded in the same auction the previous year and is slightly higher than the $640.8 million obtained in the 2023 edition. Overall, the comparison with the last two seasons confirms a recovery of confidence among collectors.
Of the 62 lots initially planned for the main sale, one was withdrawn before the start, a portrait by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec with a minimum estimate of $6 million, and one did not find a buyer. The rest of the catalog, however, benefited from widespread demand.
Which works led the race on Monet and the Impressionists?
After a short break between the two sections, the tension did not decrease. The top lot of the main sale was a luminous Nymphéas (1907) by Claude Monet, from the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, located near Tokyo and sold with a third-party guarantee.
The work was estimated between $40 and $60 million. Bidding opened at $26 million, with two Christie’s specialists vying for the painting until the hammer, which fell slightly below expectations at $39 million. The award went to Johanna Flaum, vice chairman for Christie’s Americas, for a final price of $45.4 million, including fees.
The same Japanese museum had also entrusted the house with Le songe du Roi David (1966) by Marc Chagall, valued between $8 and $12 million. In contrast to the relative caution on the Monet, this canvas sparked a fierce competition.
How did record awards and battles between collectors develop?
At several moments, bids exceeded the limits of “rational” reserves, indicating a determined desire to secure the most contested lots. A new auction record was set for Beauford Delaney: the painting The Sage Black (1967) was sold for $1.5 million, more than double the maximum estimate of $700,000.
For the Chagall, at least six potential buyers battled it out. Among them, senior specialist Michelle McMullan, in connection with a particularly determined client as bids rose over $20 million and tension grew among those present in the room.
When the contest stopped around $22 million, Rotter went beyond the podium to urge McMullan’s client to continue. However, no further bids came, and the painting was awarded to collector and advisor Ralph DeLuca, senior vice president for the pop culture sector at Sotheby’s, with a bid of $22.5 million, equivalent to $26.5 million with commissions.
DeLuca was a constant presence throughout the evening, seated in the front rows and involved in several key lots. This prominence, along with the fierce competition on some cores, helped create the “magic moments” typical of major international auctions.
What does the evening indicate about the state of the art market?
For many observers, the session confirmed a turning point in confidence already perceived during the Paris+ par Art Basel fair. Advisor David Norman, for years head of the Impressionist department at Sotheby’s, emphasized how that moment marked a rapid change in mood among gallerists and collectors.
According to Norman, several dealers who had not concluded significant sales for months began closing deals, fueling positive expectations for the auction season. In his view, regardless of the macroeconomic context, demand aligns with supply when works are fresh, of high quality, and realistically valued.
The New York evening seems to confirm this reading: after months of uncertainty, the audience seemed prepared and determined. As Norman summarized, buyers were ready, and the combination of significant materials and prudent estimates helped restore confidence in high-profile evening sales.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
