Sotheby’s Latin American Evening Sale does $21 million–well above the high estimate.

Tonight’s evening sale of Latin American Art achieved a total of $21,033,500 (est. $13,945,000/17,945,000), the highest total ever for an evening sale of Latin American Art at Sotheby’s. 91.2 percent of lots met or exceeded their high estimates, eleven lots sold for over $500,000 and two sold for over $1 million. Tonight’s sale was 90 percent sold by value and 88.3 percent sold by lot. The sale will continue tomorrow with a session at 10am.

Artist records were set for eight artists including Emilio Pettoruti, Francisco Matto, Joaquín Torres-García, Alejandro Otero, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Julio Le Parc, Martha Boto, and Benito Quinquela Martín. Additionally, records for a medium by an artist were set for Rodolfo Morales, Matta, Leonora Carrington and Emilio Pettoruti.

Top Ten

Lot Price (USD) Estimate (USD) Buyer
13 $3,625,000 (£1,840,195) $2,000,000 – 2,200,000 Anonymous
Rufino Tamayo, El Comedor de Sandias, 1949
21 $1,721,000 (£873,648) $1,100,000 – 1,400,000 Cavaliero Fine Arts
Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Constructif Mysterieux, 1932
RECORD FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

10 $965,000 (£489,873) $700,000 – 900,000 Anonymous
Rufino Tamayo, El Constructor, 1948
28 $713,000 (£361,947) $600,000 – 800,000 South American
Wifredo Lam, Personnage, 1963-1964
22 $685,000 (£347,733) $325,000 – 375,000 Anonymous
Rufino Tamayo, Relojes, 1929
8 $629,000 (£319,306) $300,000 – 400,000 Mexican
Emilio Pettoruti, La Senorita del Sombrero Verde, 1919
RECORD FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION

29 $601,000 (£305,092) $150,000 – 200,000 South American
Matta, Ardeur de l’Eau, 1958
62 $553,000 (£280,725) $180,000 – 220,000 Mexican
Jose Maria Velasco, El Valle de Mexico, 1882
59 $553,000 (£280,725) $300,000 – 350,000 American
Rufino Tamayo, Retrato Matrimonial, 1959
7 $517,000 (£262,450) $250,000 – 350,000 American
Alfredo Ramos Martinez, La Nina de Las Flores Blancas,