• Sale price  $91,075,000

Christie’s New York Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale auction of Jeff Koons’ (b. 1955) controversial and iconic sculpture, "Rabbit", made headlines May 15th, selling for a whopping $91,075,000, a world record for a living artist. Instantly recognizable, this contradictory sculpture, executed in 1986, combines cool Minimalism with the childhood nostalgia of a balloon animal. Koons’ sleek, cartoonish "Rabbit" is a masterful, Brancusi-like amalgamation. Its futuristic, shiny, faceless form is both luxurious and sweet, blending sci-fi modernism, ironic Pop Art and alluring animation-style characterization.

• Sale price  $59,295,000

One of Christie’s ten highest sales of the year, Paul Cézanne’s oil painting, "Bouilloire et fruits," painted in 1888-1890, sold for an incredible $59,295,000 at their New York Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale, May 13th. Post-Impressionist French painter Cézanne (1839-1906) used a carefully crafted color pallet and precise brushstrokes to create a new visual language. Considered by many the father of modern art, for his synthesis of Impressionism with more radical modern expressionism, Cézanne was the first to use the palette knife as a painting implement. "Bouilloire et fruits" is an example of his popular fruit still lives. Carefully piled apples, along with a pear and a few citrus fruits, sit between the folds of an ostensibly white table cloth, clustered around a gleaming silver pitcher. The vibrant colors of the fruit harmonize with unexpected accents of color in the table, and the reflected light and color on the pitcher, all crafted with Cézanne’s distinctive personality.

• Estimate $600,000-800,000
• Sale price  $1,130,000

Jaume Plensa's "Twins I and II" sold for a record-breaking $1,130,000 at Phillips’ New York Day Sale of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, November 13th. The previous record for this work was $591,000, set in 2018. Spanish artist Plensa’s massive, yet ephemeral painted steel sculpture depicts two seated figures facing each other, hugging their bent knees to their chests thoughtfully. Autoportraits cast from the artist’s body, the faceless shapes are built of a latticework of letters from nine different alphabets, suggesting the universality of the human experience and the wonder and connection possible when working together: stringing letters together forms words and concepts, and fitting disparate groups together builds community.

• Sale price  $1,418,551

"Pferd," by German Expressionist painter Franz Marc (1880-1916), sold for $1,465,276 at Bonhams Impressionist and Modern Art sale in London, October 10th, significantly more than its estimated value of $466,550-733,150. Never before offered at auction, "Pferd" is a prime example of Marc’s brilliant painting style. As a co-founder of the Der Blaue Reiter group in 1911, along with Wassily Kandinsky, August Macke, and Alexej von Jawlensky, Marc gained recognition for his striking animal paintings. Influenced by cubism and futurism, he used saturated pigments to paint primal forms invested with spirituality and emotion. Painted in 1912, "Pferd" portrays a dynamic horse, head bent sideways and one hoof raised as if frozen in mid prance. The bright lines of color that frame and mimic the arch of the horse’s neck and the bend of its raised leg accentuate the dynamism and exuberance of his subject.

• Sale price  $3,860,075

Keith Haring’s (1958-1990) "Untitled (The Church of the Ascension Grace House Mural)" sold for a cool $3,860,075 at Bonhams New York Post-War & Contemporary Art auction, November 13th, a world auction record for a Haring mural. A key figure in 1980’s Pop art, Haring was known for his vibrant street art and social activism. Painted circa 1983/1984 in the stairwell of former Catholic youth center Grace House, this 85-foot mural contains many of Haring’s iconic images, including the Radiant Baby, the Barking Dog and dancing figures. Completed in one night, without preparatory sketches or underpainting, this is the first Haring mural to go up for auction. The owner of the building, Ascension Church, went to considerable effort to remove the mural from thirteen sections of wall. Proceeds from the auction will fund major parish projects, including significant accessibility upgrades.

• Sale price  $7.8 million

At Bonhams 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art Sale in London, September 26th, "Young Woman Reading" by Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) sold for an impressive $7.8 million. Over ten times the low estimated value, this was a new world record price for the artist at auction. An archeologist, author, and artist, Hamdi Bey studied under the great French Orientalists. His oil painting depicts a young woman kneeling on an ornate prayer rug, reading the Qur'an. Her red turban and simple, yet regal golden-beige robe are a stark contrast against the backdrop of an ornate blue tile mosaic. A predominantly 19th-century European movement, Orientalism, or Orientalist art, portrays richly detailed, brightly colored representations of Islamic life. As the only Middle Eastern proponent of this Western style, Hamdi Bey subverted the detached Western attitudes of Orientalism. With his self-portraits and life-based paintings, he injected reality into this stylized and stereotypical depiction of the Eastern world.

• Estimate $20-30 million
• Sale price  $50,380,00

At Sotheby’s New York Contemporary Art Auction May 8th, Francis Bacon’s 1952 "Study for a Head" sold for $50,380,00, over twice its lowest estimated value. Irish-born British figurative painter Bacon (1909-1992) is known for his emotionally charged, frequently shocking work. Bacon often used papal imagery, as he was heavily inspired by Velázquez’s famous 1650 "Portrait of Pope Innocent X." Part of a series of six small portrait heads, "Study for a Head" depicts the head of a screaming pope with a broken pince-nez, superimposed against a brass bedstead. Presaging Bacon’s best-known painting, "Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X" (1953), this study has a very cinematic quality, painted with a dynamic blurring reminiscent of a subject in motion.

• Estimate $25-30 million
• Sale price  $54,936,000

Pablo Picasso’s "Femme Au Chien," estimated at $25-30 million, sold for $54,936,000 at Sotheby’s New York Contemporary Art Evening Auction May 16th, over twice its lowest estimated value. Picasso (1881-1973) revolutionized the art world with his exploration of Cubism. Begun in 1962, "Femme Au Chien" is part of a series. Picasso’s beloved second wife, Jacqueline Roque, sits in an armchair, smiling slightly as she pets their Afgan hound, Kaboul, who seems to be smiling as well. Jaqueline sits with one high-heeled foot tilted, the curve of the sole mimicking the curve of Kaboul’s tail, their subtle similarities reflecting their close relationship. Jaqueline’s strong nose and solid feminine form echo statuary of Greek goddesses, and she radiates contented domesticity.

• Estimate $32.1 million
• Sale price  $39,045,331

Another world record for a living artist, "Five Nudes" by Sanyu (Chang Yu, 1895-1966) sold for $39,045,331 at Christie’s 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, November 23rd, in Hong Kong. A radical artist who fused Eastern and Western traditions, Sanyu moved from Shanghai to Paris in 1920, at 19. Quickly immersed in the bohemian art world, Sanyu studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and became known for his graceful female nudes. His bold, calligraphic lines and simple forms are reminiscent of Matisse. Posed like dancers at rest, five women stand on a yellow floral carpet, framed against a velvety burgundy wall, their simple white forms stunning against the rich colors. "Five Nudes" boasts the greatest number of figures he ever painted and is his largest painting of female nudes.

• Estimate $55-75 million
• Sale price  $110,747,000

May 14th, Claude Monet’s "Meules" broke a number of world records, illustrating Monet’s eternal appeal. Selling for an astonishing $110,747,000 at Sotheby’s New York Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale, this was considerably more than its estimate of $55-75 million, and 44 times higher than the work’s previous record. This painting was last sold in 1986, and the market was eager to have it back: this is the first time an Impressionist work sold for over $100 million. Part of Monet’s (1840-1926) famous haystack series, "Meules" is a gorgeous example of his excellent composition and painterly appreciation of light and form. Monet skillfully illustrates how the gently sloping line of haystacks captured the light of the rising sun. Dynamic lines give texture to the haystacks while showing the interplay of light, shadow and color. The sale benefited two not-for-profit institutions involved in science and music.