An evening destined to go down in international art market history. On Monday, May 18, 2026, Christie’s in New York surpassed the billion-dollar mark for the second time in history in a single night of sales, thanks to the consecutive Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse and 20th Century Evening Sale auctions, which together totaled $1.121 billion, or about 965 million euros. The final result of the two sessions reached $1,121,126,500, with 97 percent of lots sold and global participation involving collectors from all major areas of the international market. Leading the evening were two seminal names in twentieth-century art, Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi, both of whom were able to surpass the $100 million mark.
The absolute record of the evening was achieved by Pollock’s Number 7A, 1948, from the collection of S.I. Newhouse, which went for $181.185 million (€156.11 million) after seven minutes of tight bids in the room and over the phone. The work tripled the artist’s previous auction record, marking a new threshold for American Abstract Expressionism and confirming Pollock’s central role in the postwar international market. Another key moment of the evening was the sale of Brancusi’s Danaid, which fetched $107.585 million (€92.69 million). The result represents the second highest figure ever achieved by a sculpture at auction and sets a new world record for the artist.
The atmosphere in Rockefeller Center’s sales room was marked by strong competitive tension and great emotional participation, fueled in part by the success of the preliminary exhibition, which had registered nearly 20,000 visitors over the previous ten days, setting an all-time record for a preview organized by Christie’s in New York.
The evening also consolidated the particularly positive momentum experienced by the international art market during the spring 2026 season, which began with the results achieved in the London and Hong Kong sales and continued in April with the Paris auctions. The success of the New York sales thus confirmed a newfound solidity of international collecting, especially for museum works and works from large private collections.
Commenting on the outcome of the auctions was Max Carter, Global Chairman of Christie’s 20th- and 21st-century art department, “We were deeply honored to receive unique masterpieces from the collection of S.I. Newhouse, as well as many other works from some of the most admired and established collectors of all time, for safekeeping. The extraordinary energy, lively bidding and $1.1 billion result speak for themselves: the market jumped at this historic opportunity, and Christie’s unparalleled team of experts rose to the occasion. I could not be more proud of what the team has accomplished.”
The first of the two sales, Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse, alone totaled $631 million (€543 million). The session opened with the sale of Pablo Picasso’s Tête de femme, which fetched $14.5 million (€12.5 million), almost double the maximum estimate. From that point on, the sale continued amid rapid relaunches, applause, and continued record highs. With the results achieved in the previous sales of the Newhouse collection organized by Christie’s in 2018, 2019, and 2023, the cumulative total of the collection has now reached $1.05 billion, becoming the second largest private collection in auction history after Paul Allen’s, the only one to have previously exceeded $1 billion.
Following the conclusion of the sale dedicated to Newhouse, the 20th Century Evening Sale kept competitive tension high, totaling $490.3 million (422.4 million euros), with 96 percent of lots sold and 99 percent by value.
Top lot of the session was Mark Rothko’s large 1964 painting, 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe), from the collection of Agnes Gund. After an intense bidding contest, the work sold by phone for $98.385 million (84.77 million euros), setting a new all-time record for the artist. Overall, the Gund collection totaled $150.8 million (129.93 million euros).
The evening also saw important results for artists from different movements, generations and geographies. Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s La femme aux lilas (Portrait de Nini Lopez) fetched $28.2 million (€24.3 million), while Roy Lichtenstein’s Anxious Girl went for $46.1 million (€39.72 million).
There was also a new record for Remedios Varo, whose work on paper Energía cósmica (Inspiración) fetched $4.467 million (3.85 million euros), marking an all-time high for a work on paper by the artist. Strong competition was also recorded for Claude Monet’s Pommiers, Vétheuil, which sold for $19.6 million (€16.89 million) after nearly five minutes of bidding, resulting in twice the maximum estimate. Also among the most significant results was a new record for Alice Neel, with Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia) sold after six minutes of bidding for $5.687 million (4.9 million euros), tripling the initial estimate.
Rachael White Young, co-director of the 20th Century Evening Sale, commented, “We are thrilled with the outcome of tonight’s sales. Among the countless superlative moments, the record-breaking result of the Mark Rothko canvas from the collection of Agnes Gund was particularly significant and a testament to the inimitable Ms. Gund and her enduring legacy.”
Paige Kestenman, co-director of the sale, also highlighted the exceptional nature of the works, “This season we have been honored to offer works from the most historic and important collectors of the 20th century, including S.I. Newhouse, Agnes Gund, and Lorinda Payson de Roulet, to name a few. We are pleased to see that our team’s enthusiasm has been reciprocated by our clients and delighted by the passionate and participatory offerings from start to finish. We look forward to carrying this spirit and enthusiasm through the rest of this extraordinary week.”
Other records recorded during the evening included Portrait de Madame K. by Joan Miró, which sold for $53.535 million (€46.13 million), Henri Matisse’s Nature morte, fougères et grenades, which sold for $4.833 million (€4.16 million) and a record for an ink on paper by theartist, and Aleksandr Rodchenko’s Maquette for ’War of the Future,’ which sold for $1.524 million (1.31 million euros), a record for a work on paper by the author and the second highest figure ever achieved by the artist at auction.
The overall result achieved by Christie’s confirms the growing weight of large private collections and museum works in the global contemporary and modern art market. In an international context still marked by economic uncertainties, the ability to attract collectors from around the world around iconic works of the twentieth century demonstrates how the top segment of the market continues to represent a ground for strong cultural and economic investment. The evening of May 18, 2026 thus enters the history of international auctions not only for the numbers achieved, but also for the quality of the works offered and the unprecedented concentration of world records achieved in a few hours, consolidating New York’s role as the global capital of the art market.
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| Christie's surpasses 1.1 billion overnight: Pollock, Brancusi and Rothko sold for crazy sums |
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