With 2020’s arrival, despite that 2019 has gone, those marvelous moments and highlights of the past year still shine in our memory.

What are the highlight moments in 2019?

Some lots unexpectedly contributed climaxes with powerful momentum in auction scenes; some artists, like dark horses, pioneered peak for the first time miraculously; some of the best works took years to make their debut and set records at a stroke. In 2019, the applause in auction scenes, the buzz on social media, and the focuses that collectors fought for all belong to them.

Now, please follow ArtPro to review the highlights of the year 2019!

Yoshitomo Nara succeeded as Japan's most expensive

Yoshitomo Nara is one of the most high-profile artists of 2019, making waves in hip art.

After 6 collectors bidding intensely for nearly 10 minutes, the work finally sold for 195 million Hong Kong dollars, renewing the artist’s personal auction record, Yoshitomo Nara thus becoming “Japan's most expensive”!

In Japan's top10 by 2020,Knife Behind Back by Yoshitomo Nara was auctioned off at $24.93 million, significantly surpassing Takashi Murakami's work which used to rank first by 60%.

Meule sold for $110 million,"the most expensive of the year"created!

Meule is one of the serial paintings by Claude Monet, a French impressionist painter who’s specialized in repeated creation with the same subjects and capturing the amazing changes of light and shadow. This time Meule sold for $110 million.

Meule has become the most expensive impressionist work ever sold at auction and also the most expensive lot in the world in 2019.

Stainless Rabbit close to $100 million, Jeff Koons Reclaimed Title of "Most Expensive Living"!

In 2019, the Stainless Rabbit sold for $91.1 million at Christie's in New York, and Jeff Koons regained the title of "most expensive living artist ".

War between Jeff Koons and David Hockney Restarts

The title of “most expensive living artist” for 2018 belongs to David Hockney. The auction record was set in November 2018, also at Christie's, when Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures) sold for $90.31 million.

Meanwhile, it was Jeff Koons’s world record which he had kept for five years that was renewed by David Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures) – the former now ranks the third.

Now, within just six months, Jeff Koons, with his Rabbit, has been back to the world peak and regained the title of “most expensive living artist”. The rivalry between the two artists is also amazingly striking.

Sanyu’s Personal Record Broke,Five Naked Women over $300 million

Sanyu's performance in this auction market this year is overwhelming, and suddenly "Sanyu heat" seems to sweep across the world.

Sanyu's top masterpiece Five Naked Women dominated the crowd – with the largest number of nude women depicted, and the only masterpiece featuring five naked women. The lot brought the hammer down for HK$ 266 million and with a settlement price of more than 300 million Hong Kong dollars,a personal auction record renewed, well deserved and excited.

From the perspective of the theme, Sanyu has three favorite types: women with “universe thigh”, thin potted flowers, and emaciated animals. Five naked Women, with all these three themes gathered in one, and the naked women gracefully standing in divergent gestures, makes itself an absolute unprecedented fine piece. The naked woman represents his desire for love, and with a few sketches worth millions, at the moment this "Matisse of the east" is the protagonist of the whole auction.

Smoke sold for HK$52.18 million,Liu Ye into China's "Contemporary New Rich"

Smoke, a giant painting of Liu Ye, started at Sotheby’s with HK$20 million and, after 28 rounds of fierce bids, sold for HK$52.18 million, breaking the auction record of the artist.

Smoke broke the previous personal record held by the work Sword in the same series (Sword sold for HK$42.68 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October 2013), making Liu Ye China's “contemporary new rich”.

Do you still remember the highlights in 2019? The artists creating miracles one after another as well as those heart-touching fine works are not only the surprises of art, but also the accumulated accomplishments of art.

We are looking forward to a more vibrant art market in 2020, bringing more excitement to collectors and the global market. In the brand new year, let's grow and share the charm of art all together!