Joseph Wright of Derby, Portrait of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) is expected to bring £100,000-150,000. In the anniversary year when interest in the life and work of Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) is as high as ever, Sotheby’s announced that it will offer for sale three exceptionally rare portraits of members of his family in its sale [...]

Tonight in London , Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction realised the strong total of £25,549,540 ($41,911,318/€29,823,964), near the top pre-sale expectations for the sale (Estimate: £19,755,000-27,435,000). More than 380 clients registered to bid and 37 of the 40 lots offered found buyers, with 92.5% sold by lot – establishing one of the highest sell-through rates [...]

In a crisp, 50-minute sale Wednesday that was choreographed for today’s tastes, Sotheby’s managed to sell more than $55 million worth of Impressionist and modern art. Though the auction featured just 27 lots, the smallest number of works in a comparable evening sale here since 1997, bidding was consistent, and a late Picasso fetched $11.5 [...]

James Jacques Joseph Tissot (Nantes 1836-1902 Doubs), The Japanese Scroll, signed ‘J. J. Tissot.’ (lower right), oil on panel, 15¼ x 22½ in. (38.7 x 57.2 cm.). Image C. Christie’s Images Ltd. 2009. The Old Masters and 19th Century Art sale realized $6,486,150/ £4,053,843/ €4,632,964 at Christie’s and was 86% sold by value and 72% [...]

One night collectors seemed resistant to part with their cash; the next evening they were clamoring to bid. Such was the auction whiplash that occurred over a 24-hour period. Unlike Sotheby’s sale on Tuesday, where bidding was thin and buyers reluctant, Christie’s auction of postwar and contemporary art on Wednesday showed a different face altogether. [...]

The highest estimate in this week’s contemporary art sales in New York is the $6 million to $8 million (£4 million to £5.3 million) asked for Jeff Koons’s 7ft, stainless-steel wrapped Easter egg. Sotheby’s insists that the estimate is less than half what it would have been a year ago and is a bargain. Jonathan [...]

The Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper and Day sales took place today at Christie’s NY (May 7 2009) and realized a combined total of $20,659,000/ £13,772,800 / €15,417,314, with a sell-through rate of 90% by value. The top price of the day was achieved for Fernand Léger’s Le cinq de trèfle, 1947 which [...]