• World Record for Gertrude Abercrombie

• Warhol's Farrah Fawcett soars past estimate

• Rare Georgia O'Keeffe achieves $4.4 million

New York – Bonhams concluded its 20th / 21st Century Art Week with remarkable achievements, including a record-breaking total of $19.5 million across the week. The Evening Sale on November 20 drew a packed audience at the New York saleroom, with significant interest from both in-person attendees and phone bidders.

The evening's standout lots included the exceptionally rare Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) work, White Primrose, 1947 which sold for $4.4 million and Abstraktes Bild, 1995 by Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) which sold for $1.5 million. Generating considerable buzz leading up to the auction was the renowned Andy Warhol (1928-1987) work of Farrah Fawcett, 1980, one of only two in existence, with the other residing in a museum. This iconic piece soared past its estimate of $300,000-500,000, ultimately selling for $1.5 million.

Female Surrealist:
The sale kicked off with a strong start, achieving a world record for the female Surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977) with her work Silo at Aledo, 1953, a striking depiction of a stark dreamscape filled with personal iconography. Another female surrealist, Bridget Bate Tichenor (1917-2012), also saw impressive results with her piece Limpia, 1964, which sold for $44,800, more than double its estimate, during the Modern & Impressionist Art Sale.

Photorealists:
The week featured a robust selection of Photorealism with Ralph Goings (1928-2016) leading the Evening Sale with his large-scale painting Ketchup Close-Up, 1990, which sold for $241,800. The Post-War and Contemporary Sale continued this trend, showcasing works such as John Kacere's (1920-1999) Joelle, 1989, which sold for $89,400 (estimate: $50,000 – 70,000), and Richard Estes' (b. 1932) Nass Linoleum, 1972, fetching $40,960 (estimate: $30,000 – 50,000).

American Art:
Bonhams' American Art department presented the collection of Linda L. Bean (1941-2024) on November 19, showcasing an important group of paintings by members of the Wyeth family. Notable sales included N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) with Self-portrait in Top Hat and Cape, 1927, which sold for $508,500, and Untitled (View of Kelp Beds, Port Clyde), 1922, which far surpassed its estimate of $20,000 – 30,000 and sold for $152,900. Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) works also performed well with The Gam, 1937, achieving $203,700 (estimate: $100,000 – 150,000).

Also taking place during the week was Bonhams Skinner's auction that presented two significant works by Joshua Johnson (c. 1763 - c. 1825). One of the earliest and most prolific Black professional painters in the U.S., Johnson's Portrait of a Woman, c. 1800, exceeded expectations, selling for $165,600 against an estimate of $60,000 – 80,000.