Joseph Yaeger's Auction Record Jumps 49%
3 min read · 19 May 2026
There is a light and it always goes out. Image courtesy of Phillips
Joseph Yaeger, There is a light and it always goes out (2021) sold for $477,300, more than seven and a half times the low estimate at Phillips in New York on May 19. The watercolor on gessoed linen work has been traded once in the past.
The sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $157,300, a 49% rise.
The Euphemism (2021). Sold for $320,000 in 2026. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The previous record was set by The Euphemism (2021), which sold for $320,000 at Sotheby's on May 14, 2026. The work had been traded twice in the past.
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 19, 2026 | There is a light and it always goes out | $477,300 | 49 % | Phillips | New York |
May 14, 2026 | The Euphemism | $320,000 | 20 % | Sotheby's | New York |
October 10, 2024 | Sphinx without a secret | $265,700 | - | Phillips | London |
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