6–8 October 2020


Christie’s October 20th Century Season — an innovative addition to the global sales calendar this year — launched with the 20th Century Evening Sale, live-streamed from Rockefeller Center in New York. It realised $340,851,500 / £262,597,458 / €288,594,606 (including buyer’s premium), selling 96 per cent by value and 84 per cent by lot. Day sales of Post-War and Contemporary art and Impressionist and Modern art followed on 7 and 8 October, achieving $36,484,250 / £28,304,306 / €31,021,519 and $9,694,125 / £7,503,193 / €8,223,499 respectively (including buyer’s premium).

Demonstrating continued demand for both masterpiece and core-level works of art, some 280,000 people tuned into the highly anticipated Evening Sale through Christie’s website and social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook and WeChat. The sale also registered bidders from across the world via Christie’s LIVE online bidding platform, with a broadening demographic of bidders under the age of 40.

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The auctions

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PRE-SHOW EVENT


Pre-Sale Conversation with Jeffery Deitch, Melanie Gerlis and Marc Porter
6 October, 6:30pm EDT | Live Stream

Before the auction you can tune into a conversation through christies.com, commencing at 6:30pm EDT, between gallerist Jeffrey Deitch, Melanie Gerlis of the Financial Times and Marc Porter, Chairman, Christie’s Americas.

Visit the christies.com homepage or check back here on Tuesday, 6 October to join the live discussion.

LIVE AUCTION


20th Century Evening Sale
6 October, 7pm EDT | Live Stream

Experience the thrill and excitement of our new hybrid-style auction featuring both post-war and contemporary art and Impressionist and modern art.

Visit the christies.com homepage or check back here on Tuesday, 6 October to watch The Evening Sale live event.

Pre-sale viewing




360 view | 20th Century New York

From Cézanne to Jackson Pollock, explore the 20th Century New York auctions in our virtual galleries or make an appointment to visit us in Rockefeller Center from 1–6 October.


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From our walls to yours in Augmented Reality

For your enhanced viewing this season, we invite you to explore artworks from our 20th Century New York auctions in augmented reality. From the palm of your hand, you can envision works by Pollock, Basquiat, Picasso, Cézanne and more in the context of your own home. The cutting-edge technology provides an immersive visual experience and a hyper-real view of every brushstroke and intimate detail of masterpieces offered in our sale.

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Special features



Highlights

  • Cy Twombly (1928–2011)

    Untitled [Bolsena]
    signed 'Cy Twombly' (upper right); signed again, inscribed and dated 'Cy Twombly Bolsena 1969' (on the reverse)
    oil-based house paint, wax crayon, graphite and felt-tip pen on canvas
    78 ½ x 94 ½ in. (199.4 x 240 cm.)
    Executed in 1969
    Estimate
    $35,000,000-50,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Mark Rothko (1903–1970)

    Untitled
    signed and dated 'MARK ROTHKO 1967' (on the reverse); signed again 'MARK ROTHKO' (on the stretcher)
    oil on canvas
    68 x 60 ¼ in. (172.7 x 153 cm.)
    Painted in 1967
    Estimate
    $30,000,000-50,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Willem de Kooning (1904–1997)

    Woman (Green)
    signed 'de Kooning' (lower right)
    oil and charcoal on canvas
    30 ¼ x 23 ¼ in. (76.8 x 59.1 cm.)
    Painted in 1953-1955
    Estimate
    $20,000,000-30,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Henri Matisse (1869–1954)

    Nu debout devant la porte
    signed and dated ‘Henri Matisse 36’ (lower right)
    oil on canvas
    24 ⅛ x 15 ⅛ in. (61.3 x 38.3 cm.)
    Painted in 1936
    Estimate
    $8,000,000-12,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Brice Marden (b. 1938)

    The Golden Pelvic
    signed, titled and dated 'THE GOLDEN PELVIC 1993-95 B. Marden' (on the reverse)
    oil on linen
    71 x 57 in. (180.3 x 144.8 cm.)
    Painted in 1993-1995
    Estimate
    $12,000,000-18,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

    Femme au chapeau
    signed 'Picasso' (upper left); dated ' 12 Mars 41' (on the stretcher)
    oil on canvas
    28 ¾ x 23 ⅝ in. (73 x 60 cm.)
    Painted on 12 March 1941
    Estimate
    $8,000,000-12,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Vija Celmins (b. 1938)

    Untitled (Ocean)
    graphite on acrylic ground on paper
    14 ⅛ x 18 ⅛ in. (35.9 x 47.9 cm.)
    Drawn in 1968
    Estimate
    $3,000,000-$5,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Marc Chagall (1887–1985)

    Amoureux au cheval rose, le soir
    gouache, colored wax crayons, green felt-tip pen and pencil on paper
    20 ⅛ x 14 ¼ in. (51 x 36.2 cm.)
    Estimate
    $250,000-$350,000
    Related sale
    Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, New York, 8 October

  • Afred Sisley (1839–1899)

    Le chemin montant
    oil on canvas
    25 ½ x 19 ¾ in. (64.8 x 50 cm.)
    Estimate
    $600,000-$800,000
    Related sale
    Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, New York, 8 October

  • Raoul Dufy (1877–1953)

    Les bateaux
    oil on canvas
    18 ½ x 21 ⅝ in. (47 x 54.9 cm.)
    Estimate
    $300,000-$500,000
    Related sale
    Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, New York, 8 October

  • Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)

    Bouche mystérieuse apparaissant sur le dos de ma nurse
    signed and dated ‘Salvador Dalí 1941’ (lower right)
    gouache on magazine cover
    17 ⅝ x 11 ⅞ in. (44.7 x 30.3 cm.)
    Painted in 1941
    Estimate
    $1,200,000–1,800,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

  • Emil Nolde (1867–1956)

    Herbstmeer XVI
    signed ‘Emil Nolde’ (lower right); signed again and titled ‘Emil Nolde: Herbstmeer XVI’ (on the stretcher)
    oil on canvas, in the artist's hand-carved frame
    Canvas: 29 x 35 in. (73.7 x 88.9 cm.)
    Frame: 36 ½ x 42 ½ in. (92.7 x 108 cm.)
    Painted in 1911
    Estimate
    $6,000,000–8,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    Property from a Distinguished Private Collection

  • Tamara De Lempicka (1898–1980)

    Les deux amies
    signed ‘T. De Lempicka.’ (lower right)
    oil on panel
    28 ¾ x 15 in. (73 x 38 cm.)
    Painted in 1930
    Estimate
    $6,000,000–8,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    Property from a Distinguished Private Collection

  • Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

    Tête de femme sur fond jaune
    dated and inscribed ‘Boisgeloup 18 juillet XXXIV’ (along the upper edge)
    oil on canvas
    25 ⅝ x 18 ¼ in. (65 x 46.2 cm.)
    Painted on 18 July 1934
    Estimate
    $8,000,000-12,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    Property from an Important European Collection

  • Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

    Femme dans un fauteuil
    signed 'Picasso' (upper left); dated '19 juin 41.' (on the stretcher bar)
    oil on canvas
    51 ⅛ x 38 in. (130 x 97 cm.)
    Painted on 19 June 1941
    Estimate
    $20,000,000-30,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    Property from an Important European Collection

  • Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988)

    MP
    signed, titled and dated '"MP" Jean-Michel Basquiat 1984' (on the reverse)
    acrylic and Xerox collage on canvas
    86 x 68 in. (218.4 x 172.8 cm.)
    Executed in 1984
    Estimate
    $4,000,000–6,000,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection

  • Joan Mitchell (1925–1992)

    Untitled
    signed 'J. Mitchell' (lower right)
    oil on canvas
    38 ¼ x 51 ¼ in. (97.2 x 130.2 cm.)
    Painted circa 1958-1959
    Estimate
    $3,500,000-5,500,000
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection

  • Robert Motherwell (1915-1991)

    Study for State II "Elegy No.100"
    acrylic, chalk and graphite on paper
    14 ¼ x 22 in (36.2 x 55.9 cm)
    Executed circa 1970/before 1975
    Estimate
    $250,000-350,000
    Related sale
    Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale, New York, 7 October

  • Matthew Wong (1984–2019)

    Shangri-La
    signed and dated in Chinese and titled 'SHANGRI-LA Wong 2017' (on the reverse)
    oil on canvas
    96 x 72 in. (243.8 x 182.9 cm.)
    Painted in 2017
    Estimate
    $500,000-700,000
    Related sale
    Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale, New York, 7 October

  • Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)

    Nature morte avec pot au lait, melon et sucrier
    watercolor over pencil on paper
    18 ¾ x 24 ½ in. (47.7 x 62.3 cm)
    Painted in 1900-1906
    Estimate
    Estimate on request
    Related sale
    20th Century Evening Sale, New York, 6 October

    Property from the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

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A guide to bidding online or by telephone with Christie’s

All of Christie’s auctions are fully accessible for online browsing and bidding, meaning you can easily place a bid from the comfort of your home through Christie’s LIVE™, or alternatively by telephone. In 2019, over half of all bids placed were online, and for live auctions, telephone bids made up 41 per cent of winning bids versus 18 per cent within the saleroom — so you’re in good company.

Learn how
  • Cy Twombly (1928–2011)
  • © Cy Twombly Foundation
  • Ed Rushca (b. 1937)
  • © Ed Ruscha
  • Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
  • © 2020 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
  • Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
  • © 2020 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
  • Marc Chegall (1887-1985)
  • © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris