Art Update: Highlights of Sotheby's and Christie's Upcoming Contemporary May Auctions 2013

Arrived at the Sotheby's advisory lunch on April 8th to preview the Impressionist and Contemporary May sales. There was a flurry of activity around the tables where the unfinished catalogue layouts were made available for a sneak preview to the group of advisors. The lineup includes:

Evening Sale

Bacon, Study for Portrait of P.L. (1962)                                       $30-40M 

Diebenkorn, Ocean Park No. 46 (1971)                                             $6-8M 

Gottlieb, Pink Smash (1959)                                                               $3-4M

Hammons, Untitled  (1989-90)                                                $900K-1.2M

Koons, New Hoover Celebrity IV (1981-86)                                  $10-15M

Pollock, The Blue Unconscious (1946)                                          $20-30M 

Richter, Domplatz (1968)                                                              $30-40M 

(this could be a record for the artist)

Still, PH-21, (1962)                                                                         $16-20M

Twombly, Untitled (Bolsena) (1968)                                             $10-15M

Day Sale

Lowman, Black Escalade (2005)                                             $350-450K

Schnabel, Self Portrait by a Red Window (1982)                   $500-700K

25 works donated by various artists including Johns, Twombly, Kelly, Koons, Ligon and Sherman will be offered to benefit the Whitney's new building project downtown.

Gerhard Richter, Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan), 1968

The following week, Christie's held their advisory lunch in the boardroom with their esteemed experts.  We had to wait for the evening mockups as they were just being completed. Talk about hot off the press! Major works from various private collections include Andy Williams (recently acquired in the last 6 years expected to bring $30M), Celeste and Armand Bartos and Sylvia G. Zell. 
Here are some of the highlights:

Evening Sale

Basquiat, Dustheads (1982)                                                            $25-35M

(this could be a record for the artist)

Basquiat, Furious Man (1982)                                                     $1.2- 1.5M

Lichtenstein, Woman with Flowered Hat (1963)         estimate on request

(think $30+M)

Noland, Circle (1958)                                                                $900K-1.2M

Pollock, Number 19 (1948)                                                             $25-35M

designated as Property of an American Foundation (assumed to be the Property of Mitchell Rales)

Ruscha, Mint (Red) (1968)                                                           $2.5-3.5M

Still, PH-1 (1953)                                                                              $15-20M

Day Sale

Gorky, Virginia Landscape (1944)                                             $600-800K

Oldenburg, Soft Baked Potato (1970)                                         $150-200K

Thiebaud Sandwich (1963)                                                               $9-1.2M

Jackson Pollock, Number 19, 1948