In This Case (1983) Image courtesy Christie s Images Ltd.
A skull-head painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat soared to $93.1 million at Christie’s on Tuesday, offering the first glimpse of the demand for high-end art as the world begins to emerge from the pandemic.
The work accounted for nearly half of Christie’s $210.5 million haul for its 21st-century evening sale. The total, which included fees, surpassed the low presale target of $145 million. Of the 39 lots offered, just two didn’t find buyers and new records were set for 11 artists. Asian buyers snapped up 25 percent of lots, including another Basquiat and a Dana Schutz canvas.