An artwork by Jackson Pollock showcasing the artist’s famous painted swirls, drips, and pours achieved a remarkable sales milestone at a New York auction on Monday, reaching a staggering $181.2 million US.
Number 7A, 1948, one of the renowned American abstract expressionist’s iconic drip paintings, shattered Pollock’s previous auction sales record, as reported by Christie’s Auction House.
Regarded as the highlight of Monday’s auction and hailed as a pioneering piece for the artist, the captivating oil-and-enamel painting on raw canvas, measuring over three meters in width and nearly a meter in height, was swiftly sold for $181,185,000 to an undisclosed buyer after intense bidding that lasted less than seven minutes.
The high-profile auction followed a 10-day public display of the Pollock artwork and other pieces at Christie’s Rockefeller Center venue, attracting around 20,000 visitors eager to view the collection.
The creation of Number 7A, 1948 by Pollock occurred when he was 36, just a few years before his passing, inside his Long Island barn near East Hampton, according to Christie’s. While most of his drip paintings found homes in museums, Number 7A, 1948 stood out as the largest remaining in private ownership.
The artwork was part of a set of 16 modern pieces up for auction from the collection of the late S.I. Newhouse, the prominent American media figure and Condé Nast co-owner who passed away in 2017. Christie’s had previously handled the sale of other items from Newhouse’s collection, with the latest being in 2023.
Additionally, Danaïde, a sculpture by Constantin Brancusi, also surpassed the $100 million mark, achieving a final price of $107.6 million.
The auction of 20th-century artworks from the Newhouse collection, which featured pieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns, resulted in the sale of all 16 lots for a total of $631 million, inclusive of auction fees.
“We were thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of both our team and clients and were gratified by the active and spirited bidding throughout the event,” remarked Paige Kestenman, co-head of the 20th Century Evening Sale at Christie’s, in a statement.