A masterpiece by Jackson Pollock featuring his signature painted swirls and drips set a new sales record at a New York auction by fetching $181.2 million US. Titled “Number 7A, 1948,” this iconic abstract expressionist piece nearly tripled Pollock’s previous auction record, according to Christie’s Auction House.
The artwork, a mesmerizing oil-and-enamel creation on raw canvas measuring over a meter tall and more than three meters wide, quickly sold for the record-breaking amount to an unidentified bidder in under seven minutes of intense bidding. The sale marked a highlight of the event, following a public exhibition of the Pollock piece and others at Christie’s Rockefeller Center, which attracted around 20,000 visitors.
Pollock painted “Number 7A, 1948” at the age of 36 in the barn of his Long Island home near East Hampton, less than ten years before his passing. While most of his drip paintings ended up in museums, this particular piece was the largest to stay in private hands.
The auction featured 16 modern artworks from the collection of the late S.I. Newhouse, a prominent American media figure, including pieces by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, and Andy Warhol. Notably, Constantin Brancusi’s sculpture “Danaïde” also surpassed the $100 million mark, selling for $107.6 million.
In total, the sale of 20th-century artworks from the Newhouse collection, which included works by Joan Miro and Jasper Johns, saw all 16 lots go under the hammer for a total of $631 million, including fees. Christie’s expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting the enthusiasm of both their team and clients, as bidding remained lively throughout the event.
