New York, 21 May 2026 - Phillips' Morning and Afternoon Sessions of Modern & Contemporary Art in New York realized $30,542,170 (£22,738,761 / €26,284,381), a 40 percent increase over the equivalent sale in May 2025. Of the 266 lots offered, 241 found buyers, for a sell-through rate of 91 percent by lot and 92 percent by value. The sessions set new world auction records for Harald Slott-Møller, Edvard Erikson, Kikuo Saito, and Woody de Othello, and saw works from the Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr. sell in full. Together with the rest of the week's auctions, the combined total reached $145,758,870 (£108,515,612 / €125,451,809).
Annie Dolan and Patrizia Koenig, Co-Heads of the New York Morning & Afternoon Sessions of Modern & Contemporary Art, jointly described the result, noting that following "a 'white glove' Evening Sale on Tuesday, we were thrilled to carry that momentum into today's Morning and Afternoon Sessions of Modern & Contemporary Art, which achieved a 40% increase from May 2025." They pointed to strong prices for works by women artists, among them Michaela Yearwood-Dan, whose The girls take their places achieved nearly $170,000 against an estimate of $80,000, and Emma Webster, whose End of the Day sold for $193,500, more than doubling its estimate. Latin American works performed strongly across both sessions, including Beatriz Milhazes' Paraty and two works by Olga de Amaral.
The leading lots
Harald Slott-Møller's Summer Day (Sommerdag) (1888), by the Danish painter, anchored the result, selling for $1,290,000 against an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. Richard Prince's High Times (2017) followed at $838,500, and Roy Lichtenstein's Small Wall Explosion (1965) realized $645,000. Robert Rauschenberg's Climb (Urban Bourbon) (1993) brought $619,200, while Robert Indiana's LOVE (1966) sold for $580,500 and Edvard Eriksen's The Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue) (circa 1910 to 1913) reached $541,800. Latin American demand was again evident in Beatriz Milhazes' Paraty (2001 to 2002), which achieved $516,000, and Olga de Amaral's Escrito V (2003), which sold for $503,100. Lee Ufan's With Winds (1986) realized $490,200 and Marc Chagall's Jeune homme et chèvre (1926 to 1927) closed the top ten at $464,400.
A landmark for Danish art and new world records
Jeremiah Evarts, Deputy Chairman, Americas, Senior International Specialist, Modern & Contemporary Art, called it "such a privilege to present the extraordinary Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. to our community of collectors over the spring season," describing the holding as "undisputedly the most important private collection of Danish art ever assembled." He noted that Slott-Møller's Summer Day (Sommerdag) "sparked an unforgettable bidding war lasting more than six minutes, ultimately selling for $1.3 million against an estimate of $30,000." Beyond the records for Slott-Møller and Eriksen, the sessions established new auction highs for March Avery, whose Molly in the Gazebo (1982) sold for $141,900, for Kikuo Saito, whose Cerise (2009) realized $245,100, and for Woody de Othello, whose At Night I Can't Sleep (2018) brought $54,180. With every lot from Ambassador Loeb's collection sold across the week's auctions, the final portion of the group will be offered in an online sale running from 26 May to 2 June.
Top ten lots
| Lot | Artist and work | Estimate | Price achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Harald Slott-Møller, Summer Day (Sommerdag), 1888 | $30,000 to $50,000 | $1,290,000 |
| 322 | Richard Prince, High Times, 2017 | $600,000 to $800,000 | $838,500 |
| 138 | Roy Lichtenstein, Small Wall Explosion, 1965 | $500,000 to $700,000 | $645,000 |
| 139 | Robert Rauschenberg, Climb (Urban Bourbon), 1993 | $500,000 to $700,000 | $619,200 |
| 190 | Robert Indiana, LOVE, 1966 | $150,000 to $200,000 | $580,500 |
| 125 | Edvard Eriksen, The Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue), circa 1910 to 1913 | $12,000 to $18,000 | $541,800 |
| 309 | Beatriz Milhazes, Paraty, 2001 to 2002 | $300,000 to $500,000 | $516,000 |
| 310 | Olga de Amaral, Escrito V, 2003 | $400,000 to $600,000 | $503,100 |
| 330 | Lee Ufan, With Winds, 1986 | $250,000 to $350,000 | $490,200 |
| 156 | Marc Chagall, Jeune homme et chèvre, 1926 to 1927 | $400,000 to $600,000 | $464,400 |
The sale arrives as Phillips marks its 230th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1796 by the auctioneer Harry Phillips, the house has long offered dedicated expertise in Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels, holding its principal auctions in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong.
Estimates do not include the buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium. Exchange rate on 21 May 2026: US$1 = £0.7458 / €0.8624 / HK$7.834.
(Press Release)
