On 16th May, Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction in New York realised an impressive $186.1 million, underscoring continued strength at the top end of the contemporary art market.
Among the evening’s most notable moments were three standout works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, which sparked competitive bidding and reaffirmed his status as a key figure in modern collecting.
Here are the Basquiat highlights from the evening (All prices in USD) :
Why this matters for collectors?
These results reinforce a key trend: works with strong provenance, institutional exhibition history, or debut appearances at auction continue to command attention, and high prices.
As collectors look to build meaningful, long-term collections, Basquiat’s trajectory is a reminder of the potential in backing cultural relevance as much as market strength.
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