Phillips’ CERA Triceratops and Bacon Realize $67.3 Million at New York Auction
Auction results from the past few years bear this out: Dinosaurs are having a moment. Not just a prehistoric relic or a tool of scientific inquiry, but a symbol of eternity and taste. Fossil skeletons are increasingly viewed as investments—in some cases, investments with more emotional and symbolic meaning than the contemporary art with which they might be shared at auction. Is this the return of Jurassic Park? Or maybe it’s just that most of us were fascinated by dinosaurs as children? Regardless, with nostalgia increasingly driving purchasing decisions in the collectibles market, dinosaurs are certainly riding the wave.
Phillips has strategically adapted to the shift — likely thanks to the young group of specialists within its ranks. Rather than competing head-on with the single-owner sales narratives of Sotheby’s and Christie’s, the company has adopted a different storytelling and marketing strategy, enhancing the symbolic power of artworks not through captivating collectors’ stories but by connecting the works to deep time.
last night, European Studies Association— A juvenile Triceratops skeleton dating to 66 million years ago and the first of its species to appear at auction — sold for $5,377,000 at the “Out of This World” sale, a specially curated portion of the auction house’s November Modern and Contemporary sale. Although this figure may not seem high compared to the season’s top masterpieces, the intense bidding pushed it well beyond its estimate of $2,500,000-3,500,000 and confirmed the demand for such collectibles. It also brought Phillips an audience that otherwise might never have engaged with the auction house; representatives confirmed that the skeleton was sold to a newly arrived American private collector, although global interest had poured in ahead of the sale to private buyers and international institutions.
Miety Heiden, chairman of Phillips Private Auctions, said the results were strong evidence of collectors’ changing tastes. “More than ever, we are hungry for pieces that spark curiosity and transcend traditional categories. People are looking for objects that bring wonder and conversation to a collection,” she said. “This result highlights the interest in rare and extraordinary works that challenge convention and stretch the boundaries of collecting.”
This year’s Frieze Masters is the global brand’s only section dedicated to million-dollar works of Modernism and Old Masters, and two of the first sales on opening day were paleontological works. David Aaron placed a Triceratops head from the Late Cretaceous (approximately 68 million years ago) within the first hour, followed by a complete stegodontid skeleton from the Oligocene Epoch (approximately 33.7-23.8 million years ago), which ultimately sold for a six-figure sum. No One Forgot Stegosaurus vertexIn July 2024, billionaire Ken Griffin broke Sotheby’s auction record when he sold a work for $44.6 million, more than seven times its estimate of $4-6 million.
On November 19, 33 lots at the Phillips Evening Auction were sold for US$67,307,850, with a 94% auction rate by lot (only two items passed) and a 97% auction rate by value. That’s a strong result, especially considering the momentum Sotheby’s and Christie’s had already shown earlier in the week.
Leaving aside the cutting-edge but highly speculative ultra-contemporary works that once dominated the auction, attendance for the evening was 24% higher than last November, driven by a combination of institutionally recognized blue-chip artists from the last century and recent market consolidation, with these works being shown for the first time alongside natural history highlights under the Out of This World label. Top lot is the highly anticipated Francis Bacon Research headed by Isabel Rosethorne and George Dyer (1967), sold for $16,015,000, well within its estimate of $13-18 million. This is followed by Joan Mitchell’s monumental work Untitled (1957-1958), the highlight of her New York years, brought in $14,290,000.
Another high-profile lot, a vibrant 1947 work on paper by Jackson Pollock, sold for $3,486,000, just below its high estimate. Mark Tansey’s revelers (2012) sparked a seven-minute bidding war that ultimately fetched $4,645,000 against an estimate of $2,500,000-3,500,000. The hypnotic, conceptual composition creates an optical push and pull that immerses the viewer in the moment of driving towards the mountainous horizon, almost tasting the crisp air in the ultramarine mist.
Meanwhile, Jean-Michel Basquiat exercise Hallucinations and Paintings (1984), a loosely composed, surreal work, grossed $3,852,000 against an estimate of $3-4 million. Another Basquiat from 1982 followed suit, selling for $1,225,500. Late Impressionism by Camille Pissarro Le pré et la maison d’Éragny, femme jardinant, printemps (1901) beat high estimates, closing at $1,900,000. Max Ernst’s Athenaeum Street (1960) doubled expectations with $1,534,000 as Surreal continued its momentum. Colombian emerging artist Olga de Amaral has also achieved good results. her glowing golden textiles Alquimea 62 (1987) soared to $748,200, well above its estimate of $300,000-$500,000. Several lots later, a red work from the same series reached the midpoint of its estimate, selling for $516,000.
Firelei Báez sets a new auction record – albeit briefly. she daughter of revolution That night at Christie’s, the sale price of $1,111,250 surpassed the pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $500,000 by $645,000.
Once again, female artists presented some of the most compelling works of the evening. As recognition for Alma Thomas continues to grow, she Untitled A 1968 collage—the blueprint for her signature mosaic-like abstract paintings—sold for $477,300 against an estimate of $250,000-350,000. Ruth Asawa Untitled (S.230, hanging single leaf, five consecutive levels of tables within tables) With the opening of her retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the auction kicked off with a burst of energy, doubling the original estimate of $400,000-600,000 to $1,006,200. Other works also performed well: a work by Martha Jungwirth brought $516,000 (estimate $200,000-300,000) and a work by Lucy Bull sold for $516,000. light rain (2019) exceeded the high estimate of $490,200.
One of the most surprising draws of the evening was a vivid 2022 abstract work by record-breaking prodigy Jadé Fadojutimi, whose estimate of $800,000-$1,200,000 may have been too ambitious. Despite its uniqueness and luxury, unsold thunderboltthe longest gold nugget ever discovered. The 114.6 troy ounces of gold, which weighed 3,565 grams and was 50 centimeters long, was estimated at $1.25-1.5 million, but failed to find a buyer. This rare natural formation was discovered by accident at Hogan’s Discovery Site in Western Australia.
Robert Manley, chairman of modern and contemporary art at Phillips, said the evening’s success was due in part to the auction house’s new priority bidding system, which helps secure early commitment and interest for most lots. This resulted in sales of 91% of titles meeting or exceeding expectations. He told the Observer: “The enthusiasm for the sale was particularly evident with 27 times the number of early bids compared to November last year, partly due to the introduction of priority bidding.” He said the results confirmed not only the enduring appeal of blue-chip artists but also the market’s resilience and continued global demand. “With strong participation from collectors around the world and bidding for Impressionist, post-war, contemporary and natural history works, tonight’s results reaffirm confidence in the long-term strength of this market.”
