“Our Day Sales are the true litmus test for the underlying strength of the market. With well over half of the lots selling above their high estimate, strong sell-through rates, and buyers from every corner of the globe, today’s sale is a clear indication of the depth and vibrancy of today’s market. Collectors continue to respond with enthusiasm to well-estimated works of real quality, and this really shone through across both of our sales this week.” Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s Head of Contemporary Art Europe

Today’s Contemporary Art Day Sale at Sotheby’s in London totalled a near-top estimate £16.6m / $22.2m / €20.1m (Est. £11.7-16.9m / $15.8-22.5 / €14.4-20.4). Following last night’s Evening Sale, the combined total this week’s contemporary auctions reached above high-estimate total of £68.8m / $91.6m / €82.7.

The sale was led by Günther Uecker’s, Spirale, 1966, which sold for £629,000 (Est. £250-350,000) one of a group of four German ‘Zero’ works (three pieces by Uecker and one by Heinz Mack) offered from a private collection, which all sold above the high-estimate for a combined £1.5m.

The stars of Tuesday’s Contemporary Art Evening auction also attracted competition today. Following on from last night’s record-breaking £6.8m result for the British artist Jenny Saville, a virtuoso pastel and charcoal work on paper, Study for Isis and Horus, 2011, more than doubled its pre-sale estimate to sell for £509,000 (est. £150,000- 200,000).

A further six works by the French artist Jean Dubuffet sold in today’s sale, led by Tête Abondante, 1952, which achieved £329,000 (est. £200-300,000). The nine works offered by Dubuffet across both the Evening and Day sales realised a combined £8m (est. £4-5.9m). Among the many further works to exceed pre-sale expectations, were Adrian Ghenie’s Pie Fight Study, 2012 which sold for £449,000 (est. £200-300,000) and Agnes Martin’s meditative abstract canvas, Untitled #10, selling for £569,000 (Est. 250,000-350,000).

Over the past fortnight an outstanding group of works from the Estate of a Private Swedish Collector has been offered across Sotheby’s Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern Art sales. With seven further works offered in today’s sale, the final total for the collection reached £8.1m (est. £4.2-5.9m).