Auction Watch: Phillips New York Prints Sale Surges 32% As London Marquee Evening Auctions Lose Pace
Bald Eagle (F. & S. II.296) © Andy Warhol 1983
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Phillips’ June Editions sale in New York hammered just above the $1 million mark, exceeding its low estimate by 5% and outperforming the equivalent sale last year by 32%. While 2025’s offering included a broader range - 238 lots this year vs. 180 last year - the uplift isn’t just volume. It’s appetite.
In a market where high-value evening sales have failed to reach 2023–2024 benchmarks, prints continue to offer liquidity, confidence, and clarity. This result reaffirms that, far from dead, the art market is shifting. Not toward spectacle, but substance.
Warhol’s Endangered Species Breaks Records in New York and London
Warhol’s Bald Eagle, from his Endangered Species series, topped the Phillips sale at $215,900, comfortably exceeding its $120,000 high estimate by 80%. Quickly becoming Warhol’s most sought-after series, the momentum wasn’t limited to New York - at Bonhams’ June Prints and Multiples sale in London, Grevy’s Zebra set a new record at £146,450 (GBP), surpassing its 2023 high of £139,700 (GBP).
Demand for this series continues to grow, with individual works achieving strong results throughout H1 2025 and multiple new auction records set in recent months. The average value across the ten-part series now sits at £102,000 (GBP) for individual prints, with anticipated further growth as supply remains tight and collector demand broadens across geographies.
For further insights into edition structures, resale trends, and collector appetite, download our Endangered Species Market Report.
Campbell’s Soup Cans Set New Record
Also from Warhol, Green Pea, from Campbell’s Soup I, achieved a new record at $60,960, outperforming its $50,000 estimate. The Soup Can prints remain some of the most liquid works in Warhol's market - more accessible than Endangered Species, yet often more actively traded due to their iconic imagery and broad appeal across collector tiers.
The difference between the two is about scale and tone. While Campbell’s Soup prints remain iconic and instantly recognisable Warhol, collectors are responding to the bold colourways and the unpredictability of availability in Endangered Species - you don’t know when a specific animal, edition type, or condition will next come up. That combination of visual impact and controlled supply is pushing this series to the forefront of Warhol’s market in 2025.
Lichtenstein’s Apple Brushstroke Draws Mid-Tier Demand
Roy Lichtenstein’s Vertical Apple from the Seven Apple Woodcuts sold for $13,970, a solid result against its $10,000–$15,000 estimate. While this work represents an affordable entry into Lichtenstein’s market, it lacks the signature Benday dots that define his most recognisable output - a detail not lost on collectors. Still, works from the Apple series often perform consistently and serve as a stepping stone for those looking to own a piece of a blue chip Pop legacy without the six-figure spend.
Looking To Sell Lichtenstein Prints?
Browse Roy Lichtenstein on the Trading Floor and download our latest Roy Lichtenstein Market Report.
Affordable Hockney Prints Show Reliable Demand
Phillips offered three David Hockney prints in this sale, each from distinct, more affordable series - and all performed either within or above estimate, continuing a 2025 trend where liquidity lies in the sub-$30,000 range of Hockney’s market.
- Two Pembroke Studio Chairs, from Moving Focus (1994), sold for $24,130, just below its high estimate. The work reflects his sharp understanding of depth and spatial construction - using overlapping planes, angled lines, and bold colour to challenge traditional perspective and draw the viewer into the scene.
- An Image of Celia Study, also from Moving Focus (1986), outperformed its $5,000–$7,000 estimate to fetch $10,160. Celia Birtwell remains a central figure in Hockney’s print oeuvre, and even a study version - with its looser, experimental tone - continues to attract buyers who want access to Hockney’s portrait subjects.
- Michael Crichton, from the Friends series (1976), sold for $2,794, outperforming its $1,000–$2,000 estimate. The portrait blends Hockney’s clean linear style with a known cultural figure, offering collectors an accessible entry into his portraiture - with added appeal through its connection to the celebrated American author and filmmaker.
Looking To Sell Hockney Prints?
Browse David Hockney on the Trading Floor and download our latest David Hockney Market Report.
Hirst’s Pharmaceutical Spot Print Outperforms, Virtues Hold Firm
Damien Hirst’s The Virtues prints remain steady, with Honesty and Politeness each fetching $12,700, and Honour outperforming at $16,510. While prices remain within a stable band, the series stands out for its fusion of traditional Japanese themes with Hirst’s signature seriality and colour logic - making it one of the artist’s most widely collected bodies of work in recent years, especially among new-to-Hirst buyers seeking conceptually rich yet visually uplifting material.
Also a strong result, Ellipticine spot print achieved $20,320, well above its $12,000 high estimate - a standout in a segment that’s cooled since its peak. Despite the broader slowdown, the appeal of Hirst’s pharmaceutical spots lies in their visual clarity, conceptual rigour, and market recognisability. With their crisp palette and minimalist repetition, they remain some of the artist’s most instantly identifiable works.
Market Outlook: Prints Signal the Pulse
In a year where evening sales have shrunk and guarantees are harder to come by, Phillips’ June Editions sale shows where real confidence lies: in prints. With 238 lots offered and a total that beat last year’s equivalent sale by 32%, the result points to a shift away from spectacle and toward structure. Buyers aren’t disappearing - they’re being more selective. Works with recognisable imagery, strong provenance, and clear market data are continuing to perform - not as outliers, but as the segments where demand remains steady. In a cautious but active landscape, the June print sales have reaffirmed where the market is moving.
