Christie's online only auction of Warhol art nets $2,297,375 in sales, twice the expected sum.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Christie’s, the international auction house, celebrated the first Andy Warhol @ Christie’s online-only auction from February 26 to March 5, resulting in $2,297,375 in sales, twice the expected sum. Clients were able to browse, bid and pay, receive updates and organize shipment both electronically and by phone.“The excellent results of the first Warhol online-only sale demonstrate the international enthusiasm from both new and established collectors who bid from 36 countries, validating Warhol’s democratizing vision,” said the chairman of the board of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Michael Straus.The cyber auction’s proceeds are earmarked for the foundation, which supports the development of visual artwork.“Andy Warhol @ Christie’s has advanced both our philanthropic programs and our work in keeping Andy’s legacy alive. We are thrilled with the results of this first sale and look forward to many more exciting online sales in the years ahead,” the foundation’s president, Joel Wachs, said.Some of the artwork in the auction was priced as low as $600, while other pieces went on sale for as much as $70,000.The highest price paid was for a colored lithograph printed on two sheets of paper and titled I Love Your Kiss Forever. Although Christie’s had estimated its sale value at anything from $3,000 to $5,000, in the end it sold for $90,000.263 people bid online, and a total of 65,000 browsed the cyber auction.Christie’s next online Warhol auction, scheduled for April, is to feature collectibles.