The marquee November auctions in New York kicked off with a bang, as Sotheby’s Evening Sales on November 18 closed with a combined total of $309 million—over 30 percent higher than last year’s tally of $223.4 million from thirty-three lots—setting a vibrant tone for the season’s subsequent sales. The evening’s success was very much driven by the extraordinary collection of beauty tycoon Sydell Miller, which smashed expectations with a total of $216 million, well above the high estimate of $205 million.
The undisputed star of the night was Claude Monet’s Nymphéas (1914-1915), a fresh-to-market masterpiece from the artist’s iconic water lilies series. After an electrifying seventeen-minute bidding war, the painting hammered at $65.5 million, with the winning bid placed by an Asian client via Jen Hua, Sotheby’s deputy chairman of Asia. It was a fitting highlight for a collection already packed with trophy pieces.
Another standout was Wassily Kandinsky’s Weisses Oval (White Oval) (1919), a museum-quality work making its auction debut. Backed by both a guarantee and an irrevocable bid, the painting soared past its high estimate, ultimately fetching $21,610,000. Yves Klein’s Relief Éponge bleu sans titre (RE 28) (1961), another guaranteed lot, also exceeded expectations. Acquired by Miller from Acquavella Gallery in 2001, the iconic blue sponge piece achieved $14,227,500.
The evening’s momentum carried through to François-Xavier Lalanne’s creations, affirming the enduring allure of Les Lalanne’s whimsical designs. A unique gilt-bronze and glass table, Troupeau d’Éléphants dans les Arbres Table, commissioned by Miller in 2001 through Peter Marino, obliterated its presale estimate of $4-6 million to sell for a jaw-dropping $11,600,000. The excitement didn’t stop there—two gold-patinated bronze and glass consoles by Lalanne, also commissioned directly by Miller, brought in $3,840,000 and $2,160,000, both well above their presale high estimates of $2 million.
Other major lots in the sale included Henry Moore’s Reclining Mother and Child (1975-76), a stunning bronze that sold for $11,600,000—just above its high estimate, possibly thanks to the irrevocable bid supporting it. Henri Matisse’s Jeune fille en robe rose (1942), a joyful portrait from his celebrated Nice period, soared past its $3-5 million estimate to achieve $9,730,000, as was expected. Mark Rothko’s fresh-to-auction oil on paper, described as an “exemplar of the union of color and light,” also sparked lively bidding before selling for $5,160,000—well above its $2-3 million estimate. Both the Matisse and the Rothko were acquired by Miller from Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach, in the late 1990s.
But as the night progressed, the Modern Evening Sale proved less successful. The sale totaled just $92.9 million against an estimate of $92.3-$135 million with a 77 percent sell-through rate. Two key lots, one by Pablo Picasso and another by Sam Francis, were withdrawn before the auction, perhaps because of a lack of buyers. Among the seven lots that went unsold, the biggest letdown was Matisse’s exotic Torse de Jeune fille (1921-1923). Despite carrying an in-house guarantee and a $12-$13 million estimate, it failed to find a buyer even after an elaborate but ineffective round of chandelier bidding. Other unsold works included three Picassos and pieces by Max Ernst, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and René Magritte.
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Still, it would be unfair to call the sale a complete failure, especially given the standout success of Leonora Carrington’s mystical, surreal sculpture La Grande Dame. The work achieved $11.4 million—double its presale estimate of $5-$7 million—after an intense bidding war. Argentinian collector Eduardo Costantini, bidding via Sotheby’s head of Latin American Art, Anna de Stasi, emerged victorious. Costantini was also the buyer of Carrington’s record-setting Les Distractions de Dagobert (1945), which sold for $28.5 million at Sotheby’s last May.
Following the sale, Costantini reflected on his acquisitions, telling the press: “We are thrilled and incredibly fortunate that a collector with such a keen eye has chosen to part with two exceptional pieces, allowing ustunity to acquire these great works. After over forty years of collecting masterpieces by the finest artists in modern and Latin American history, Carrington has remained a notable absence in our collection. This year presented a rare opportunity to acquire the two standout works by the artist—the best of their kind—and to ensure Carrington is fully represented in the collection of Malba. La Grande Dame and Les Distractions de Dagobert will make perfect companions to the great works by Remedios Varo, Frida Kahlo and many other leading lights of the Latin American Surrealist movement.”
Confirming the strong market for Surrealist women and the surging interest in Latin American art, Leonora Carrington’s Temple of the World (1954) performed solidly. Already backed by an irrevocable bid, the painting sold for $4,560,000, landing squarely in the middle of its $3-5 million presale estimate. This marked a dramatic appreciation from its last sale at Christie’s in 1993, where the consignor purchased it for $365,500—a testament to the meteoric rise of Latin American art over the past two decades. Other Latin surrealists also saw success, with Remedios Varo’s gouache Los caminos tortuosos (1958) kicking off the evening at $2,040,000. The piece, previously sold at Sotheby’s in 2003 for $187,200, reflects yet another striking price jump. Meanwhile, Leonor Fini’s Les Stylites (Les Stylists) exceeded its high estimate of $720,000, signaling growing demand for her work following her inclusion in the last Venice Biennale and ongoing promotion by Kasmin Gallery. Set to feature in a major exhibition at Milan’s Palazzo Reale next March, this 1934 painting previously sold at Sotheby’s in 2007 for just $129,512, making its current result all the more remarkable.
Among the highly anticipated highlights of the Modern Sale were three masterpieces from the collection of Harry Frank Guggenheim, the influential businessman and cultural figure instrumental in founding the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Leading the charge was Giacometti’s bronze bust Buste (Tête tranchant) (Diego), fresh to market, which sold for a commanding $13,250,000. Paul Gauguin’s rare sculpture La Femme Noire (1889) followed but disappointed, achieving just $480,000, well below its $700,000 low estimate. Similarly, Franz Marc’s Das Lange Gelbe Pferd (The Long Yellow Horse), an exemplary work, fell short of expectations, selling for $4,320,000 against a low estimate of $8,000,000.
Brighter moments came with strong performances from Alexander Calder’s floating mobile, which achieved $3,600,000, and Claude Monet’s Paysage, bord de la Seine, près de Jeufosse (Eure), which was backed by an irrevocable bid and guarantee and sold for $960,000. Other lots that exceeded expectations included Paul Signac’s Antibes. La Pointe de Bacon, selling for $9,950,000, and Henri-Edmond Cross’s Eucalyptus et Olivier, which fetched $1,380,000. A fresh-to-auction canvas by Max Beckmann from 1934 also impressed, selling for $2,400,000.
One surprising star of the evening was a design masterpiece: The Danner Memorial Window by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Widely regarded as one of Tiffany’s greatest works, the breathtaking stained glass creation achieved a record-setting $12,480,000. A dazzling fusion of nature, historical memory and emotional resonance, the window’s symphony of vivid color and intricate detail drew admiration. After an intense six-minute bidding war among three determined participants, the piece sold to a phone bidder represented by Sotheby’s global head of science and pop culture, Cassandra Hatton.
While this strong start offered a glimmer of optimism for the intense week of marquee sales ahead, it also underscored a key truth about today’s art market: buyers may be more selective, but they remain eager to compete for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities—especially A+, fresh-to-market masterpieces. With the market increasingly favoring works that tick every box—quality, provenance and investment-grade credentials—the path to success for auction houses is clear. Securing top-tier consignments and tailoring their sales with precision across locations and categories has never been more essential. Next up, the gavel will pass to Phillips and Christie’s, both set to host their evening sales tonight (Nov. 19).