Art

May Masters: Christie’s 20th/21st Century Week 2025

Christie’s New York packs six auctions into May 12–15, led by a $50 million Monet, a Rothko canvas, and Basquiat’s ‘Baby Boom,’ testing the spring market.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera
Christie’s 20th/21st Century Week
Piece by Keith Haring. Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale

From Monday 12 May to Thursday 15 May, Rockefeller Center becomes a pressure cooker of blue‑chip ambition as Christie’s 20th/21st Century Week presents six live auctions.

 

Two marquee evenings anchor the run‑up to New York’s fair season: the double‑header “Leonard & Louise Riggio: Collected Works” followed by the 20th Century Evening Sale on 12 May (6:30 p.m. EST), and the 21st Century Evening Sale on 14 May (7:30 p.m. EST).

 

In between, four day sessions push the total lot count above 500 artworks, spanning 140 years of creativity—and price tags from $5,000 to $50 million.

What Makes the Riggio Collection a Market Litmus?

The Barnes & Noble founder bought with a scholar’s rigor, assembling a mini‑survey of modernist turning points. Top lots include a rare Piet Mondrian 1922 grid (estimate on request) and René Magritte’s Les droits de l’homme, both unseen on the block for decades.

 

By scheduling Riggio immediately before the 20th‑Century Evening Sale, Christie’s hopes the halo of private‑collection freshness will energize bidding for the broader session.

Bass House
Mark Rothko's No. 4 (Two Dominants) (left). Courtesy Christie's

Christie's 20th/21st Century Week: Star Lots & Estimates to Watch

  • Claude Monet, Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule (1891) — One of only 23 Poplars canvases, vertical in format, estimate $30–50 M. Last showed at MFA Boston; could reset Impressionist ceilings.

  • Mark Rothko, Grey, Orange on Maroon (1960) — Long held in the Netherlands; whispers of $35–45 M. Its somber palette will test appetite for meditative abstraction.

  • Jean‑Michel Basquiat, Baby Boom (1982) — A three‑panel crimson scream from collector Peter Brant, estimate $20 M. Could Basquiat regain post‑pandemic momentum?

  • Piet Mondrian, Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow (1922) — Riggio’s trophy, estimate undisclosed but chatter points to $25 M.

  • Simone Leigh, Sentinel (2020) — Post‑Venice‑Biennale glow propels a high estimate of $4–6 M, eyeing an artist record.

Day Sales: Volume Plays and Under‑the‑Radar Finds

The four daylight auctions—two themed around Modern, two around Contemporary—offer entry points under $200k. Look for early Judit Reigl works, a group of Picasso ceramics, and African modernists from the Atencio/Demirdjian collection.

 

Schedule Snapshot

  • 12 May, 6 : 30 pm EST — Leonard & Louise Riggio • Mondrian 1922 • Estimate: O/R (~$25 M)

  • 12 May, 7 : 30 pm EST* — 20th Century Evening • Monet “Poplars” • Estimate: $30–50 M

  • 13 May, 10 : 00 am EST — Impressionist & Modern Day • Franck & Giacometti works • Estimate: $10 k–2 M

  • 13 May, 2 : 00 pm EST — Post‑War & Modern Day • Warhol works on paper • Estimate: $8 k–600 k

  • 14 May, 7 : 30 pm EST — 21st Century Evening • Basquiat “Baby Boom” • Estimate: $20 M

  • 15 May, 11 : 00 am EST — 21st Century Day • Simone Leigh editions • Estimate: $20 k–400 k

* The 20th Century Evening sale begins immediately after the Riggio segment, within the same sitting.

 

Market Context: Will High Inflation Wobble the Paddle?

2024’s global sales dipped 12 %, yet Christie’s hauled a record $6.2 billion thanks to estate consignments. Spring 2025 continues that strategy: private collections (Riggio, Bass, Atencio) supply 40 % of evening lots.

 

Guarantees underpin Rothko and Monet, signaling house confidence despite Wall‑Street jitters. If bidding exceeds estimates, expect a morale boost before June’s Art Basel. A pass‑in on any trophy could chill the season.

 

Beyond the Rostrum: Hybrid Viewing & Carbon Consciousness

Christie’s live‑stream features 4K close‑ups and on‑screen CurrencyX rates. New this year: a carbon‑offset calculator for overseas buyers—part of the firm’s “Net‑Zero by 2030” roadmap.

 

For paddles in‑person, Rockefeller displays the Rosalind Nashashibi mural from last year’s First Open, blurring auction house and exhibition space.

From Mondrian’s poised grid to Basquiat’s frenetic script, Christie’s 20th/21st Century Week compresses a century of artistic revolt into four market‑defining days. If Monet’s poplars sway past $40 million and Rothko’s meditations land, collectors will exhale—and New York’s spring season will bloom.

 

If not, the week may mark a reset toward realism. Either way, the only certainty is the echo of the gavel—loud, decisive, and globally livestreamed.

Christie’s 20th/21st Century Week 2025

  • How many evening sales are there? Two: Riggio/20th on 12 May and 21st on 14 May.
  • Is Riggio a standalone auction? It opens the 12 May session, immediately segueing into the 20th‑Century Evening Sale.
  • Can I bid online for the Monet? Yes—qualified clients with deposit approval may bid via Christie’s LIVE™.
  • What’s the buyer’s premium? 26 % up to $1 M, 21 % $1–6 M, 14.5 % above.Viewing times? 4–11 May, 10 am–5 pm, Rockefeller Center galleries.

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