This Month
Not enough distress: Japanese whisky sale tanks
The SMSF seller of rare whiskies could have put off buyers, but interest in Escher and Turner proves almost infinite.
$15m nude is proof that women are the future of the art world
Pretty much the only good news in a disappointing London sale season was the results for female artists.
Rare Japanese whisky could be yours for $100,000
The 41-year-old single malt, one of only 82 bottles from the Karuizawa Distillery’s Noh series of 2013, is among 34 bottles being sold from a collector’s super fund.
June
A painting Alan Bond made in prison just sold at auction
The late fraudster’s lawyer put up a painting of the yacht Australia II and was expecting about $300, but it secured a lot more than that.
‘Blame the G7’: Indigenous art auction disappoints
Art Leven says buyers’ focus was on the leaders’ meeting and an Art Basel preview after even the star work by Emily Kame Kngwarreye failed to generate interest.
Auction houses embrace exhibitions to sell works
Joining the likes of Menzies, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, fine art auctioneer Smith & Singer says selling art in the manner of a gallery is an opportunity to showcase artists’ works in depth.
New York disappointment sharpens focus on next Indigenous art auction
Lacklustre results at Sotheby’s Aboriginal Art auction in the US last month have raised questions about the impact on prices at a Sydney sale next month.
May
Lost in New York: What happened to the trophy art market?
By the art world’s own accounting, the spring auction season in New York fell short of even its lowest target as art stars flopped. The one bright spot: women.
Big New York Indigenous art sale fizzles
Sotheby’s banner Aboriginal art auction was hoped to be a springboard into the launch of a new Rockefeller gallery in the Met. It wasn’t.
Howard Arkley bidding war drives fresh records
Rapid-fire and often tactical bidding drove Arkley’s big, bright lounge room - and the auction house - to the top of the 2025 sales list.
Sotheby’s bets on New York demand for Indigenous art
Several works by Emily Kame Kngwarreye headline an auction estimated to bring make than $4.5 million in sales.
April
20 business types + a $1m super investment = an unusual art collective
Twenty top-tier business and legal names invested $1 million in art from Asia and the Pacific. Now they are selling.
Uli Sigg is offloading his Howard Arkley. Asking price, $1m-plus
One of the world’s biggest art collectors is selling a brash work by one of Australia’s most in-demand artists. It could add up to a record price.
Why this early Whiteley went from £200 to $1.2m
Two paintings were brought from the young artist in 1961. Last week one sold for almost four times the other.
A record-setting photo and a $2.5m number plate
The biggest auction of the year so far delivered $10 million in sales and a record price for an iconic image, while a small plate brings a big price.
Foreign buyers swoop as Indigenous art takes off
An Emily Kam Kngwarreye painting that doubled its estimate helped Deutscher + Hackett record the highest sales since the glory pre-GFC days of 2007.
March
From £450 to $1m: Early Whiteleys emerge with a rich backstory
In 1961 the young Australian artist paid close attention to the pretty Californian art student who bought two of his works in London.
130 years on, Australian art history comes out of the woodwork
An Arthur Streeton painting of a hallowed art location and a canvas that rocketed Brett Whiteley towards his eventual fame will be auctioned in April.
A Canadian estate sale bargain is about to deliver a 200 times return
A wood carving snapped up at an estate clearance for the price of lunch turns out to be something quite rare and valuable.
Roy Lichtenstein delivers $2m payday for John Kaldor
At 89, one of Australia’s top arts philanthropists is downsizing his personal collection, starting with this “early Pop Art masterpiece”.