Basquiat, Monet, Giacometti, and Lichtenstein headline May 2025’s major auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s, with expectations topping $500M.
With global art sales under close scrutiny, Sotheby’s and Christie’s are doubling down on trophy works, tightly held private collections, and fresh-to-market masterpieces for May 2025’s art auctions. Together, the two houses aim to exceed $500 million across their evening sales.
Among the star lots: a rediscovered early Basquiat, a luminous Monet riverscape, Giacometti’s rare hand-painted Grande tête mince, and works from the estates of Roy Lichtenstein, Barbara Gladstone, and the Bass family.
Sotheby’s two flagship events—the Modern and Contemporary Evening Sales—begin on May 13 in New York. Together, they carry a combined estimate of $382.9 million to $525.2 million.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (1981) — Estimated at $10M–$15M, this five-foot-wide early painting, unseen for 36 years, captures the raw energy of Basquiat’s breakout years.
Alberto Giacometti, Grande tête mince (Grande tête de Diego) (1955) — A unique painted bronze from the artist’s iconic series, expected to fetch $70M+.
Roy Lichtenstein — More than 40 works from the artist’s family collection are on offer, following a strong November sale. Top lots include Reflections: Art (1988) and Woman: Sunlight, Moonlight (1996).
Barbara Gladstone Estate — 12 select pieces spanning American abstraction and European postwar painting add gravitas to the contemporary lineup.
Notable institutional deaccessions also punctuate the season. SFMOMA is parting with Frank Stella’s Adelante (1964), Henri Matisse’s Le Bouquet d’anémones, and Alexander Calder’s Four Big Dots, underscoring museums’ strategic shifts.
Christie’s responds with a suite of masterworks that blend modern classics and refined connoisseurship:
Claude Monet, Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule (1891) — A twilight riverscape from the Impressionist’s Les Peupliers series, estimated at $30M–$50M.
Bass House Collection — Curated from Sid and Anne Bass’s modernist residence, this selection includes:
Mark Rothko, No. 4 (Two Dominants) (1950–51) — Est. $35M
Frank Stella, Itata (1964) — Est. $6M–$8M
Ellsworth Kelly, Blue Black Red (1964) — Est. $4M–$6M
Agnes Martin, Alexander Calder, Morris Louis, and Gino Severini further enrich this house-museum-style offering.
These lots will be featured during the 20th Century Evening Sale on May 12, followed by a Post-War and Contemporary Day Sale on May 15.
This May, the art world’s biggest stage once again belongs to New York, where the weight of history and the thrill of the chase meet at the rostrum. With rare Basquiats, twilight Monets, and legacy-defining collections on the block, these auctions offer more than market indicators—they offer moments.
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