Jeff Koons Leads Christie's $32.02m Post-War to Present Auction
3 min read · 27 Feb 2026
Winter Bears by Jeff Koons sold for $7.64m. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Jeff Koons, which had a guarantee, was the headline sale at Christie's 'Post-War to Present' auction on February 26 in New York.
- The sale totaled $32.02m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 186 works sold totaling $32.02m.
- Estimates totaled: $23.36m (low) and $33.76m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 81% of the original 231 lots announced.
The star lot was: Jeff Koons, Winter Bears (1988), which sold for $7.64m, 101% above its $3.8m low estimate. The work was backed by a guarantee. It has been traded once in the past.
Southampton Sand by Mary Abbott sold for $209,500 (598% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 598% above its low estimate. Mary Abbott, Southampton Sand (1969), sold for $209,500 ($30,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
- 79 works, or 42%, sold above their high estimate.
- 68 works, or 37%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 39 works, or 21%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
46 works were backed by guarantees, including: Cy Twombly, Roman Notes (1970). It sold for $1.1m, 57% above its $700,000 low estimate.. It has been traded once in the past.
Works that did not sell
43 works were bought-in, including: Donald Judd, Untitled (1972), estimated at $700,000 (low) to $1m (high). It has been traded 7 times in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
2 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: John Baldessari, Santa with Diving Person (1984) estimated at $100,000 (low) to $200,000 (high).
Terms and definitions
All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.
Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.
Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.
Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.
Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.
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