East End Artists Max Out Christie's Historic Auction

Artists associated with the East End helped Christie’s auction house take in a record-breaking $853 million on Wednesday night, with Andy Warhol leading the way with two works, “Triple Elvis” and “Four Marlons,” achieving $81.9 million and $69.6 million, respectively. Out of 80 lots, there were 30 by artists who have lived and worked here over the past century.

Warhol, who had a place in Montauk for many years before his death in 1987, had nine other works in the auction that sold in a range of $2 million up to those higher figures. Two of his works, “Orange Gun” and a late self-portrait with an estimate of $25 million to $35 million, failed to sell. An earlier self-portrait sold for $11 million.

Roy Lichtenstein, who lived in Southampton, also figured prominently in the sale, with seven works, six of which sold. His painting “Reflections on the Prom” was the top seller, bringing in $21 million. One of his “Sunrise” paintings sold for $16 million and a “Landscape” went for $18 million. His work “Keds,” which had an undisclosed estimate, failed to sell.

Willem de Kooning of Springs was represented by paintings and sculptures in the sale. A “Clamdiggers” went for more than $29 million, a record for his bronze works. An untitled painting from 1978 sold for $17.5 million. Another sculpture, “Cross-legged Figure,” sold for $2 million.

A lot of 21 “Untiled Film Stills” by Cindy Sherman sold for $6.8 million, a record for a single lot for her. Ms. Sherman, who has a house in Springs, lived in Sag Harbor for many years prior to buying her current residence.

A beautiful Franz Kline color painting from 1958 sold for $26.4 million, just above its low estimate of $25 million.

Other East End artists in the sale were Robert Gober, Arshile Gorky, Joan Mitchell, Mark Rothko, and Richard Prince, who had two nurse paintings in the sale that sold for about $5.7 million each, and a joke painting for $3 million.