The Painting That Set Cecily Brown's Auction Record
3 min read · 19 Feb 2025
Suddenly Last Summer. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Cecily Brown's Suddenly Last Summer (1999) sold for $6.78m at Sotheby's New York on May 16, 2018. The oil on canvas work had been traded three times before.
The painting's title, like many of Brown’s paintings from this period, derives from a Hollywood film.
Brown had moved from London after graduating from the Slade to New York City in 1994, where three years later she had a critically acclaimed debut solo show, presented by Deitch Projects.
Suddenly Last Summer is one of Brown’s earliest paintings to incorporate the human figure in her exuberant, semi-abstract works. The artist has described why oil paint is such a great medium for skin and flesh, saying it is "sensual, it moves, it catches the light." She added about her work: "I wanted to make something that you couldn’t tear your eyes away from."
The Girl Who Had Everything. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The sale beat Brown’s previous auction record by $4.38m, a 175% rise. Her previous record was set by The Girl Who Had Everything (1998), which sold for $2.39m at Sotheby's on June 28, 2017. The work had been traded three times before.
A Brief History of Cecily Brown at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-05-16 | Suddenly Last Summer | $6.78m | 183 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2017-06-28 | The Girl Who Had Everything | $2.39m | 8 % | Sotheby's | London |
2017-03-07 | The Sick Leaves | $2.21m | 37 % | Christie's | London |
2007-05-16 | Pyjama game | $1.61m | 69 % | Christie's | New York |
2007-05-15 | Guys and dolls | $950,000 | 12 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2006-05-10 | High society | $850,000 | 962 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2002-05-15 | Seven Brides For Seven Brothers | $80,000 | 7 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2000-11-14 | Twenty Million Sweethearts | $75,000 | - | Sotheby's | New York |
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