As is often said, the best comes at the end. Such was the case last night at Christie's New York when Andy Warhol's 1964 screenprint Shot Sage Blue Marilyn crowned The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann Evening Sale.
After record prices had already been achieved for works by Francesco Clemente, Ann Craven, Mike Bidlo, Mary Heilmann, Martin Disler and Ross Bleckner, Warhol's iconic work finally came up for auction. Expectations for its sale were high: at $200 million, its estimate made it the most expensive 20th-century work of art.
This massive sum was just missed with a hammer price of $170 million ($195.04 million with premium), but Shot Sage Blue Marilyn was still able to secure the title of the most expensive work of art of the 20th century, as Pablo Picasso's artwork Les femmes d 'Alger (version 'O') was auctioned at Christie's in New York almost exactly seven years ago for a few million behind at $160 million ($179.4 million including premium).
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“No one could doubt the interest yesterday. It was a lively and intense bidding on most items, which resulted in several auction records,” says Barnebys co-founder Pontus Silfverstolpe.
The sensational sale of Shot Sage Blue Marilyn also meant a new auction record for Andy Warhol, which almost doubled his previous record price from 2013. By overtaking Picasso's Les femmes d'Alger ('O' version), Warhol also ranks second behind Leonardo da Vinci in the list of the most expensive artists in auction history.
“Tonight was a historic night for Christie’s and for the entire contemporary art market," said Alex Rotter, Christie’s Chairman of 20th and 21st Century Art, in a press release. "The record-breaking sale of Warhol’s iconic portrait of Marilyn from the Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann is a testament to the strength, the vibrancy, and the overall excitement of the art market today. This sale demonstrates the pervasive power of Andy Warhol as well as the lasting legacy that he continues leave [sic] behind in the art world, popular culture, and society."
Silfverstolpe adds: “Thomas Ammann, the former owner of the art collection sold at Christie's, said: Warhol will never die. And I dare to fill in his words with: ‘Neither will Marilyn Monroe, thanks to Andy’. She is a symbol for the American dream and an icon for generations, just like Andy. And if the children of today don’t know her films, Warhol's portrait of the American dream keeps the collective memory alive.”
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All proceeds from the sale of the Thomas and Doris Ammann Collection are going to charity. According to Christie's Chairman Marc Porter: “For 250 years, Christie’s has proudly stewarded the greatest art objects throughout generations and tonight, we yet again made history. The funds that we have raised tonight with the sale of this exquisite collection will go directly toward improving the health and well-being of children and young adults. Philanthropic initiatives are of the utmost importance to our core values at Christie’s; we believe giving back to our global communities to be essential. It has been a true privilege and honor to work so closely with The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation in organizing such a generous sale.””
In total, the thirty-six lots from The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann Evening Sale raised a whopping $317.8 million.
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