Swann held its African American art sale earlier this month. The top lot was this Norman Lewis painting bringing in more than half a million dollars. That’s a substantial new record for the artist. Below is the top ten lots of the sale. (The annotations identify Collectors, Dealers and Institutions as buyers.)

1. Norman Lewis, Untitled (1957) $581,000 C
2. Elizabeth Catlett, Head (1947) $173,000 I
3. Charles White, Hope Imprisoned (1946) $62,500 D
4. Alvin D. Loving, Jr., Karin and Janie Talking, (1976) $56,250 C
5. Charles White, Untitled (Head of a Man), (circa 1967-68) $55,000 D
6. Frank Bowling, Karters Choice (1972) $50,000 C
7. Howardena Pindell, Untitled #56 (2010) $43,750 C
8. Sargent Claude Johnson, Dancer (circa 1938-40) $37,500 I
9. Mavis Pusey, Nuvae (circa 1968) $33,750 C
10. Romare Bearden, Christ Healing the Sick (1945) $32,500 C

Sale total: $1,735,690 ~ Hammer estimates: $1,504,000 – $2,263,000; Hammer total: $1,405,100; 149 lots offered; 111 sold (74% sell-through)

This chart of the last five years of African American art sales shows the bumpy progress the category is making under Swann’s leadership: