Christie’s day sale morning session rocked with $29 million in sales and a very high number of lots selling (91%). The results give a different picture of the art market from the one we’ve been told about these last few months. This Ralph Goings photorealist work sold for $314,500, two and a half times the high est.

The entire Day sale brought in $43,811,950 with 286 out of 326 lots–or 88%–selling for an average price of $153,188 for the day sale.

If the day sales can be looked to for a barometer of the broader market, Contemporary art may turn out to be much stronger than anyone had dared predict.