New York's Print Week Puts Some Locals in the Spotlight

The Intermational Fine Print Dealers Association's annual fair is still a day off, but artists with local ties are already making headlines with sales of their multiples.

On Monday, "Campbell's Soup I,"  a complete set of 10 Andy Warhol "Soup Can" screenprints from 1968, broke a record for any set of that subject, selling for $850,000, well above its estimate of $500,000 to $700,000, to a British art dealer at Sotheby's. On Tuesday, at Christie's, a set of 10 Warhol "Flowers" screenprints went for $852,000.

Single Warhol prints also led sales, with a "Marilyn" selling above its $220,000 estimate at $287,500 at Sotheby's and a "Moonwalk" selling for $212,500 at Christie's.

Roy Lichtenstein's "Nudes" series is also popular this week. "Nude With Blue Hair" sold for $552,500 at Christie's, and a "Nude With Yellow Pillow" relief print broke a record for this subject, selling for $250,000 at Sotheby's. The auction at Christie's was still in progress as of this writing.

The print fair opens to the public on Thursday in its new location at the Javits Center's River Pavillion. Some of the artists associated with the East End whose prints will be on view there will be Vija Celmins, John Chamberlain, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Max Ernst, Childe Hassam, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Enoc Perez, Elizabeth Peyton, Dan Rizzie, James Rosenquist, Richard Serra, Billy Sullivan, and Donald Sultan, along with more Lichtensteins and Warhols.

The fair's hours are Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. On Sunday, when the fair closes, the hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $20. Details on dealers, programs, and daily tours are available at printfair.com.