Last week Heritage sold $1.78m in Prints and Multiples led by several Andy Warhol prints and a Richard Diebenkorn. The sale was followed by a long-planned announcement to accelerate the prints and multiples market online through regular weekly sales. Heritage says the new sales are in response to “ever-growing demand for high-quality prints.”
The Weekly Online-Only Prints & Multiples auctions commence with a sale that closes Nov. 7. All lots are being sold without reserve prices. The auction features artworks by Keith Haring, Mr. Brainwash, Alexander Calder, Max Ernst, Shepard Fairey, Alex Katz, Red Grooms, KAWS, Robert Motherwell, Takashi Murakami, Pablo Picasso and Ken Price. At the conclusion of each auction, bidding opens for the following week’s auction. Here’s what Heritage had to say about the move:
“Prints are a great medium for collectors, from beginners to experts,” said Frank Hettig, Heritage Auctions Vice Present of Modern & Contemporary Art. “The quality of prints Heritage Auctions offers is such that interest has grown at an incredible pace. The addition of weekly auctions is the logical next step, as we broaden our reach to a wider scope of collectors.”
The popularity and collectability of prints have soared to the point that the auctions went from semi-annual events to monthly sales, and now to weekly events. The department will continue to present Live Floor Auctions in the Fall and Spring seasons, presenting the market’s high end prints.