For the first time in 14 months, the auction calendar is behaving as it used to before Covid-19, as rivals Christie’s and Sotheby’s gear up for a week of marquee evening and day sales in New York. The events will begin on May 11 and end on May 14.
The phrases “masterpiece” and “museum-quality” are once again straining from overuse by auction specialists, and Sotheby’s will even allow in-person bidders, though in a highly limited capacity.
But even though the calendar looks like it used to and auction house specialists are sounding the same notes, the makeup of the auctions themselves, particularly in the contemporary art categories, is strikingly different than in years past.