Phillips' New York 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on 14 November raked in an impressive $155 million, about £124 million, marking the auction house's second-highest total ever.
The first part of the sale was dedicated to avant-garde art from The Triton Collection Foundation, a group of 30 works acquired by Dutch shipping and oil magnate Willem Cordia and his wife Marijke van der Laan. Most of the pieces, including key examples of Impressionist, Modern, and Post-war art, had never been offered at auction before and were all backed by third-party guarantees.
See also: A $70 Million Avant-Garde Art Collection Makes Auction Debut
Initially estimated to be worth around $70 million, the collection pulled in $84.7 million. Fernand Léger's double-sided canvas Le 14 juillet took the lead at $17.6 million, exceeding its estimate of $15-20 million. The 1912 work depicted on one side a cubist interpretation of Bastille Day, and on the other, a view of the rooftops of Paris seen from Léger's studio.
See also: Fernand Léger: Art in Full Swing
Other highlights of the Triton Collection included Pablo Picasso's Femme en corset lisant un livre, circa 1914-1918, which fetched $14.7 million, and Georges Braque's La bouteille de Bass, from 1911-1912, which brought in $8.4 million. An Untitled Joan Mitchell, estimated from $7 to $10 million, sold for $7.8 million.
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The second part of the Evening Sale, featuring 20th Century & Contemporary Art from various owners' collections, was led by Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild (636), fetching $35 million and placing it among the top five works ever offered by the artist.
Jadé Fadojutimi also made a notable impact, setting a new world record as her piece, Quirk my mannerism, sold for triple its low estimate, reaching over $1.9 million. Her previous record was just broken on 7 November when Christie's auctioned off A Thistle Throb for $1.4 million.
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At $154.6 million, with $69.9 million for 20th Century & Contemporary Art and $84.7 million for the Triton Collection, this round of Phillips' New York sales was a resounding success. Robert Manley, Deputy Chairman and Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, commented, "The inclusion of The Triton Collection Foundation's works alongside those from our various owner sales added a distinctive dimension to the evening. This fusion contributed to the vibrant tapestry of artistic narratives that define Phillips and our commitment to presenting diverse and compelling sales."
