A photorealistic candle painting by Gerhardt Richter sold for $30 million at Christie's 21st-century evening sale, below its $35 million low estimate, and reached $35.1 million including fees. The 42-lot auction generated a $162.7 million total, the highest New York evening-sale result for Christie's since 2021. The hammer total was $133.6 million, up 68% from a comparable sale last year. The sale stayed within its presale range, supported by guarantees on more than three-quarters of the lots. One lot was withdrawn, and Ed Ruscha's Career Sportswear (2000) was bought. Seven Richter works from Marian Goodman’s collection were heavily guaranteed and produced $78.8 million, nearly half the evening’s haul.
"One of Gerhardt Richter's photorealistic candle paintings hammered for $30 million at Christie's 21st-century evening sale on Wednesday, below its $35 million low estimate, in an otherwise solid but unspectacular auction at its Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York. With fees, the price was $35.1 million."
"While there were few fireworks during the final big evening of the marquee May auctions, Christie's still managed to post its biggest evening-sale total in the category in New York since 2021, $162.7 million. It was the latest positive result in a week that has been full of them. The 42-lot sale's hammer total was $133.6 million, a 68 percent increase from a similar auction last year that came in at $79.6 million (across 36 sold lots)."
"With more than three-quarters of the lots backed by guarantees, the house had assured itself a relatively safe night. One lot was withdrawn, and Ed Ruscha's Career Sportswear (2000) was bought in. Kerze (Candle), 1982, was one of eight Richters on offer from the collection of the late dealer Marian Goodman, who was instrumental in developing the German artist's market in United States."
"Seven of the Goodman Richters were backed by third-party guarantees; 18. Juni 2009, a small oil on photograph, had only a house guarantee. Together, they netted $78.8 million, accounting for nearly half the evening's haul. (Sales prices include fees, unless otherwise noted; estimates do not.) The Richters arrived about a third of the way through the affair. The lights were lowered when the Kerze (Candle) arrived on the block and the room fell silent, but though auctioneer Yü-Ge Wang lingered, few bids were forthcoming, and the work eventually sold to a bidder on the phone with Kathryn Lasater, a senior vice president at the house."
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