art auction

Two Monet paintings unseen for a century head to auction at Sotheby’s Paris

Two Claude Monet landscape paintings that have been hidden in private collections for more than a century are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's Art Moderne et Contemporain Evening Auction in Paris on April 16. The works, "Les…

Michelangelo sketch sells for $27.2M, shattering auction record

A small red chalk sketch of a foot by Michelangelo sold for $27.2 million at Christie's in New York on February 5, 2026, shattering the auction record for any work by the Renaissance master and selling for more than 13…

Lost Rubens crucifixion sells for $2.7M at auction

A long-lost painting by Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ sold for €2.3 million ($2.7 million) at auction Sunday in Versailles, France, exceeding its estimated value and marking a rare rediscovery in the art…

Guido Reni painting shatters auction record at €12.4M

A 17th-century masterpiece by Baroque artist Guido Reni sold for €12.39 million at Artcurial in Paris on November 25, obliterating the artist's previous auction record and far exceeding its modest pre-sale estimate. The painting, "David with the Head of Goliath,"…

Long-lost Renoir painting sells for $2M at Paris auction

A previously unknown portrait by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting his young son and nanny emerged from a century of private ownership to fetch €1.8 million ($2 million) at a Paris auction on Tuesday, marking a notable sale amid signs…

Utamaro masterpiece sells for $7.1M, setting record

Kitagawa Utamaro's monumental handscroll *Fukagawa in Snow* sold for HK$55.3 million ($7.1 million) at Sotheby's Hong Kong on November 22, setting a new auction record for the ukiyo-e master after more than 30 bids. The painting, measuring over three meters…

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! buys Cattelan’s gold toilet for $12.1M

Ripley's Believe It or Not revealed itself Wednesday as the buyer of Maurizio Cattelan's notorious solid gold toilet sculpture, purchased for $12.1 million at Sotheby's New York on Tuesday evening. The entertainment franchise known for housing oddities announced it acquired…

Klimt portrait sells for record $236.4M at auction

Gustav Klimt's six-foot portrait of a young Viennese heiress shattered records on Tuesday, selling for $236.4 million at Sotheby's New York and becoming the second-most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. The sale of "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" capped a…

Rediscovered Picasso portrait sells for €32M in Paris

A previously hidden Pablo Picasso masterpiece featuring his muse Dora Maar fetched €32 million at a Paris auction on Friday, marking the highest auction price of the year in France and setting off intense international bidding among 18 collectors.

Two hidden Modigliani portraits to lead Paris auction

Two previously unseen Amedeo Modigliani portraits, hidden from public view for half a century, will headline Sotheby's Paris auction on October 24 with estimates reaching $8.7 million each. The works anchor the house's "Modernités" sale, which carries the highest estimates…

Unseen Picasso portrait of Dora Maar heads to auction in Paris

An 80-year-old mystery returned to the spotlight Thursday as auction house Drouot in Paris unveiled a previously unknown Pablo Picasso portrait of his muse Dora Maar, setting the stage for what could become one of the year's most significant art…

Pauline Karpidas’ £60M Surrealist trove hits market

Legendary art collector Pauline Karpidas is bringing her extraordinary £60 million Surrealist collection to market this September, marking the most valuable single-owner collection ever offered by Sotheby's in Europe. The 250-lot auction spans two days, September 17-18, featuring masterpieces from…

Dalí watercolor bought for £150 could fetch £30,000 at auction

A Salvador Dalí watercolor illustration purchased for just £150 at a Cambridge house clearance sale in 2023 is now set to go under the hammer with estimates of £20,000 to £30,000, potentially delivering a 200-fold return on investment. The discovery…

Phillips sues David Mimran over unpaid Pollock painting guarantee

Phillips auction house has initiated legal action against David Mimran, son of billionaire sugar magnate Jean-Claude Mimran, after he failed to honor a $15 million guarantee to purchase an unsold Jackson Pollock painting from a November auction despite signing an…

Canaletto’s Venice masterpiece sells for £31.9M, shattering his auction record

According to The Art Newspaper and Reuters, Canaletto's masterpiece "Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day" has set a new auction record for the artist, selling for £31.9 million ($43.9 million) at Christie's in London, far exceeding its…