[2026 Spring Auction] Sotheby's New York Modern Art Evening Sale Achieves Total $310 Million; Henri Matisse Leads the Way with His Third-Highest Personal Price.
At 7:00 AM on May 20, 2026, Sotheby's "Modern Art Evening Sale" was held as scheduled in New York.The auction featured 42 lots, achieving a total sales value of US$310 million and a sell-through rate of 98%. 45% of the lots sold above their estimates, and 45% sold within their estimates.Henri Matisse's "La Chaise Lorraine" sold for $48.405 million, becoming the top-selling item of the auction.
New record:
Charles Shearer sets second-highest price record for an artist;
Henri Matisse sets a new third-highest price record for an artist;
A total of 6 items were sold for over 10 million yuan.Among them, Henri Matisse's "La Chaise Lorraine" sold for $48,405,000.
Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" sold for $46.68 million.
Vincent van Gogh's "La Moisson En Provence" sold for $29.43 million.
Alberto Giacometti's "La Clairière (Composition Avec Neuf Figures)" sold for $23,105,000.
Henri Matisse's "La Séance du Matin" sold for $20.805 million.
Wassily Kandinsky's "Rote Tiefe (Red Depth)" sold for $14.48 million.
Top-selling item in this session:
Henri Matisse's "La Chaise Lorraine" sold for $41.5 million at hammer price, or $48.405 million including commission.
Top 2 in sales this session:
Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" sold for $40 million at hammer price, or $46.68 million including commission.
Top 3 transactions in this session:
Vincent van Gogh's "La Moisson En Provence" sold for $25 million at hammer price, or $29.43 million including commission.
Other items sold at auction:
Besides the top three most expensive lots, the auction also includes masterpieces by numerous artists, including Alberto Giacometti, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
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For more details on the auction items, please click to view the special session.