Phillips New York Modern & Contemporary reporst Strong Sales to Exceed $8.5 Million

STRONG RESULTS AT PHILLIPS’ NEW YORK MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART SALE EXCEED $8.5 MILLION   Andy Warhol’s Molly Leads the Sale, Quadrupling Estimate   Notable Results Achieved by Women Artists, Including Alice Baber,  Nicole Wittenberg, and Others   New York, 28 February 2026  Sale Total: $8,519,160 / £6,318,337 / €7,209,748   Lots Sold: 149 | Lots Offered: 164 Sold by Lot: 91% | Sold by Value: 94%  Andy Warhol Molly, 1956 Sold for $412,800 Alice Baber Ladder over and under, 1972 Sold for $387,000 Nicole Wittenberg Alford Lake, 2022 Sold for $38,700           Avery Semjen, Specialist, Head of Sale, said, “This past Saturday’s Modern & Contemporary Art Sale in New York saw strong demand across the board, achieving a sell‑through rate of 94% by value. Held on the last day of February, the sale bolstered a fitting start to International Women’s Month, opening with seven consecutive works by women artists, each surpassing their high estimates. Sasha Gordon and Alexis Ralaivao set the pace with results several times above expectations, while Alice Baber led this opening sequence with a price more than six times its estimate, and achieving her second highest price at auction. The exceptional result coincides with Alice Baber: Sacred Spaces, a landmark selling exhibition celebrating one of the most distinctive voices in Post‑War American abstraction, on view in our galleries from 6–25 March. Strong performances by contemporary artists were led by Wolf Kahn, Beverly Pepper, Dana Schutz, Barkley L. Hendricks, Cinga Samson, Alessandro Twombly, Kehinde Wiley, Natalie White, and Nicole Wittenberg, whose Alford Lake set a new auction record for the artist. Modernist highlights also performed impressively, with works by Georges d’Espagnat, Sarah Bernhardt, and Jacques Lipchitz far exceeding expectations. These results affirm the strength of demand across every category, and we look forward to carrying this momentum into our Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in London on Thursday, 5 March.”   Top Ten Lots Lot Description                                                           Estimate                                 Price Achieved 27 Andy Warhol, Molly, 1956 $100,000 - 150,000 $412,800 15 Sam Gilliam, Dew, 1974 $200,000 - 300,000 $412,800 12 Alice Baber, Ladder over and under, 1972 $60,000 - 80,000 $387,000 20 Sean Scully, 4.22.98, 1998 $150,000 - 200,000 $335,400 36 Kehinde Wiley, Terence Nance, 2011-2012 $80,000 - 120,000 $296,700 45 Manolo Valdés, Reina Mariana, 1992 $250,000 - 350,000 $283,800 19 David Smith, Untitled, 1959 $180,000 - 250,000 $232,200 43 David Bates, Fall Fire, 1984 $70,000 - 100,000 $174,150 14 Gerhard Richter, 4.4.88, 1988 $100,000 - 150,000 $167,700 47 Wolf Kahn, The Magnetic Attraction of the Deep Woods, 1996 $70,000 - 100,000 $167,700
Exchange Rate on 28 FEBRUARY 2026: US$1 = £0.7415, € 0.8465, HK$7.823
ABOUT PHILLIPS Phillips: where the world’s curious and bold connect with the art, design, and luxury that inspires them. As a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, Phillips offers dedicated expertise in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels. Auctions and exhibitions are primarily held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Phillips offers a regular selection of live and online auctions, along with items available for immediate purchase. Phillips also offers a range of services and advice on all aspects of collecting, including private sales and assistance with appraisals, valuations, and financial planning. Visit phillips.com for further information.   *Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.   PHILLIPS NEW YORK – 432 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022 PHILLIPS LONDON – 30 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6EX PHILLIPS HONG KONG – G/F, WKCDA Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, No. 8 Austin Road, West Kowloon #phillipsauctionny#andywarhol#fineartmagazineblog.blogspot#sunstormfineartmagazine	FOLLOW US ON:              WeChat