Basquiat’s Baby Boom Sells for $23.4M as Dumas Sets New Record For Female Artists In Christie’s $79.2M 21st Century Evening Sale
Image © Christie's / Baby Boom © Jean-Michel Basquiat 1982
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Christie’s returned for round two with its 21st Century Evening Sale, bringing in $79.2 million at the hammer - just 4% below presale expectations. While the sale moved quickly and reports from the room described a subdued atmosphere, there were still standout moments. Basquiat’s Baby Boom achieved $20 million (hammer), but the true headline was a new auction record set for a living female artist, marking a significant milestone in the market.
The 21st Century Evening Sale took place on Wednesday, 14th of May, following the strong momentum of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale and the Leonard and Louise Riggio Collection - both of which benefitted heavily from third-party and in-house guarantees. While the 21st Century sale came in just 4% shy of its presale expectations, it still achieved a 19% increase over last year’s hammer total and nearly matched the 2023 equivalent.
Against a backdrop of caution, Christie’s May sales are proving remarkably resilient. When combined, the Riggio Collection, 20th Century Evening Sale, and 21st Century Evening Sale have brought in $2.1 billion, more than double the $933 million total achieved by the equivalent sales in 2024. And that’s with fewer lots overall - 113 this year compared to 121 last year - making the result all the more impressive.
From the the Post-War & Contemporary Day Sale, a full set of Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans hit just over $1 million with fees pushing past the presale low estimate. Although, not a new record, this complete set sits in the top ranks of the highest selling prints of the May New York sales season.
Image © Christie's / Miss January © Marlene Dumas 1997Marlene Dumas Sets New Record as Women Artists Outperform at Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale
Despite reports of a subdued atmosphere and a lack of major trophy lots, one of the most noteworthy aspects of Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale was the increased presence - and strong performance - of women artists. Seventeen of the 39 works offered (36 of which sold) were by women, a noticeable increase from the 13 featured in last year’s equivalent sale of 32 lots. While modest, the shift is meaningful, especially considering that some of the most headline-worthy results came from this group.
The standing ovation belonged to Marlene Dumas, who set a new auction record for a living female artist, overtaking Jenny Saville. Her 1997 painting Miss January, a commanding full-length portrait of a figure with platinum-blonde hair, bold makeup, and hot pink socks, sold for $13.6 million with fees - just exceeding its $12 million high estimate. It was a symbolic and market-driven victory, though the narrow margin above estimate also underscored the prevailing caution among buyers.
Interestingly, with the exception of a single Richard Prince work, the only lots in the sale to exceed their high estimates were all by women. Elizabeth Peyton continued to build momentum with her celebrity portraits - Jarvis and Liam Smoking (1997), an ode to Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, hammered at $1.3 million, just above its $1.2 million estimate. Louise Bourgeois demonstrated her cross-category strength, with an untitled 2000 sculpture reaching $1 million, surpassing its $800,000 high estimate. And in the more accessible range, Danielle McKinney’s The Fool (2021) more than doubled its estimate, hammering at $165,000 against a $70,000 high, while Emma McIntyre’s Up bubbles her amorous breath (2021) also impressed, selling for $160,000 on the same estimate.
In a sale defined by restraint, it was the women artists - across both established and emerging tiers - who not only stood out but outperformed. For deeper insights into the growing influence of women in the art market, download our latest Female Printmakers Report.
Image © Christie's / Blast Curtain © Ed Ruscha 1999Basquiat’s Baby Boom Leads Christie’s with $23.4M Amid Trade Uncertainty and Market Caution
It was a strong showing for women artists in the 21st Century Evening Sale, but the most anticipated lot of the night remained Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Baby Boom (1982). This dynamic triptych, brimming with Basquiat’s signature urgency and raw visual energy, features three skeletal, mask-like figures rendered in frenetic linework. Set against a backdrop of exposed canvas and punctuated with bold blue and white passages, the figures - adorned with crown-like halos and anatomical motifs - evoke basquiat’s central themes of identity, mythology, and confrontation. Offered at auction for the second time, the work met its low estimate, hammering at $20 million ($23.4 million with fees) - likely to the guarantor - and secured its place as the highest-selling Basquiat so far in 2025.
In the current landscape, where uncertainty around political leadership and looming trade barriers continues to shape global buyer behaviour, $20 million - despite being the low estimate - remains a highly impressive result. It’s a strong vote of confidence in Basquiat’s enduring market appeal, even in a more selective and risk-aware climate.
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Ruscha Sees Solid Results at Christie’s with $5.6M Blast Curtain and $2.9M Devil or Angel
Also making a notable impact was Ed Ruscha, whose presence by volume across the May sales hasn’t gone unnoticed. In this sale, two works were offered. Blast Curtain (1999), another cool-toned mountain composition akin to Alvarado to Doheny offered at Phillips, achieved $4.6 million at the hammer ($5.6 million with fees) in its auction debut. Ruscha’s earlier work, Devil or Angel (1973), reached $2.4 million ($2.9 million with fees) - a steady performance reflecting continued institutional and market interest.
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Image © Christie's / 1-Chloro-2, 4-Dinitrobenzene © Damien Hirst 1997Hirst’s Spot Painting and Formaldehyde Work Make Auction Debuts with Steady Results at Christie’s
Damien Hirst, too, remains a fixture in the evening auctions. Two works appeared here: the spot painting 1-Chloro-2,4-Dinitrobenzene (1997), which made its first auction appearance and hammered at $420,000 ($529,000 with fees), and Matthew (The Twelve Disciples) (1994), a formaldehyde bull’s head in vitrine, which achieved $200,000 ($252,000 with fees) - both modest results but signs of ongoing demand for his iconic material.
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Looking Ahead
Overall, the sale delivered what it needed to. While female artists provided the standout moments, it’s still the blue chip trophy works (and auction house and third party guarantees) - despite some soft results - that continue to anchor the evening auctions. Read the Sotheby’s report which banked with major group of works from the Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein Collection.
