From the Gene Hackman Collection to contemporary highlights, Bonhams Art Auction Week hit $28.2M. Explore the event’s biggest moments. 

BY ARTCENTRON NEWS

NEW YORK, NY— Bonhams Art Auction Week unfolded with a commanding presence across the global art market, accruing a cumulative $28.2 million through its interconnected lineup of sales. From the Bonhams Evening Sale to the Gene Hackman art collection auction, alongside notable segments in American Art, Post-War & Contemporary works, and Impressionist & Modern offerings, the house demonstrated its continued strength within Bonhams 20th and 21st Century Art events.

The Gene Hackman Collection

On November 19, the New York saleroom unveiled the highly anticipated Gene Hackman Collection shortly before transitioning into the Evening Sale, setting the tone for the week’s energetic Bonhams auction results. The atmosphere swelled with intensity as bidders competed against each other. Whether seated in the room, engaged by phone, or linked through online platforms, they vied with an average of seven competitors per lot. This momentum propelled the ratios to an impressive 150% above the low estimates, anchoring the early success of the week.

Ralph Taylor, Global Head for the Bonhams 20th and 21st Century Art Evening Sale, highlighted the performance as the company’s most assertive global achievement to date. He underscored how both the Evening Sale and the Hackman Collection embodied Bonhams’ mastery in stewarding prominent single-owner collections. Andrew Huber, leading the New York division, described the evening as a vibrant interlace of artistic legacies and seldom-seen works that invigorated collectors throughout the event.

Evening Sale Highlights Within Bonhams Art Auction Week

The Evening Sale delivered a 90% sell-through rate with a total of $17 million, reinforcing the house’s art market authority. Wayne Thiebaud’s River Sides dominated the roster, ascending to $2.36 million after a fervent rally of bids. Yves Tanguy’s surrealist realm, Je tourne la tête vers moi, followed by rising far beyond its estimate to reach $1.78 million.

David Hockney’s expansive watercolor Courtyard, Palace of Carlos V, Alhambra, Granada (Second Version) secured $1.39 million, while Norman Zammit’s 1987 Untitled ignited a bidding storm—leaping to $254,500, more than eight times its high estimate, a new milestone within these record-breaking art auctions.

Additional notable Bonhams auction results included:

• Lila by Wassily Kandinsky—$737,100
• Fanya by Alice Neel—$635,500
• Mares and Foals by Susan Rothenberg—$597,400
• Small Phonograph by Gertrude Abercrombie—$286,250

Gene Hackman Art Collection Auction—White-Glove Achievement

The Gene Hackman art collection auction presented 13 works, each of which found a buyer, resulting in a flawless white-glove finish.
Milton Avery’s Figure on a Jetty topped the collection at $508,500, supporting a total of $1.64 million for the group.

Other standout results included:

• Richard Diebenkorn’s Green—$419,600
• Diebenkorn’s High Green, Version II—$152,900
• Fritz Scholder’s Dancer—$152,900

American Art Sale—November 18

The American Art sale Bonhams assembled 90 compelling works, featuring key selections from Arthur Murray’s storied collection.
Robert Henri’s Edna Smith, Pink, No. 1, closed at $394,200, while Grandma Moses’ Sugaring Off followed closely at $381,500.

Cumulative results reached $3.05 million, achieving a 76% sell-through rate.

Additional highlights:

• William Michael Harnett’s Still Life with Book—$229,100
• Luigi Lucioni’s Mili Monti—$191,000 (new auction record)
• N.C. Wyeth’s This was the sign unto them. (The Nativity)—$191,000

Post-War & Contemporary Art Auction—November 20

The Post-War and Contemporary Art auction offered 96 lots, achieving an 80% sell-through and a total of $5.03 million. Walton Ford’s El Poeta exceeded expectations, reaching $457,700, while George Condo’s Ideal Nature soared beyond projections, landing at $368,800.

Other major results included:

• Keith Haring’s Untitled—$219,900
• David Bates’ Jetty Fishing—$229,100
• Lynda Benglis’ Mask II—$216,400

Impressionist and Modern Art Auction—November 20

The final chapter of Bonhams Art Auction Week was marked by the Impressionist and Modern Art auction, delivering a total of $1.5 million across 42 lots.

Marc Chagall’s Les Amoureux led with $318,000, more than doubling its estimate.
Vietnamese Impressionist Le Pho garnered notable enthusiasm as Feuillages de Normandie rose to $108,450, while Fleurs sur la chaise captured $95,750.

Further highlights included:

• Georg Kolbe’s Lauschende—$95,750
• Lynn Chadwick’s Conjunction XIV—$95,750

 A Radiant Outcome for Bonhams 20th and 21st Century Art

As the week drew to a close, Bonhams presented a constellation of refined results—diverse, resonant, and emblematic of shifting currents in the global art market. The series amplified the house’s standing in art market sales results, with remarkable outcomes across every category, reinforcing why Bonhams Art Auction Week remains a pivotal fixture among collectors worldwide.

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