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A Modest Midseason Auction Report

Fewer lots define the auction houses’ in-between season of postwar and contemporary art. But, as always, a handful of standout works—by Mitchell, Condo, Dubuffet, Ruscha, Haring and others—raise the stakes.

Joan Mitchell
At Sotheby’s sale, the very top lot is a recently rediscovered 1985 Joan Mitchell painting, estimated at $3 million, that has been in the same French collection for 40 years. Photo: David Turnley/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images
Julie Brener Davich
February 23, 2025

The midseason sales of postwar and contemporary art at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips in New York are modest this week—there are only 534 lots on offer between the three houses, with a combined presale estimate of $42.5 million. That’s down from the past two years, when they sold between 650 and 800 lots per season, totaling between $53 million and $63.5 million. It’s no secret that the secondary market for ultra-contemporary art has shrunk substantially. Consignors seem to be holding on to those works until the market rebounds.