Willem de Kooning Work Sells for $640,000 But Delivers a 20% Negative Return
3 min read · 15 May 2026
Five Women. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Willem de Kooning, Five Women (1952), sold for $640,000, more than the low estimate at Sotheby's in New York on May 15.
The sale was below the previous auction result by $170,000, realizing a 20% negative return. It last sold at auction in 2021 for $810,000 at Christie's.
Graphite on paper, 44.5 x 72.4cm. The work has been traded 11 times in the past.
Sale Date | Price | Price Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May 15, 2026 | $640,000 | -21 % | Sotheby's | New York |
November 12, 2021 | $810,000 | -31 % | Christie's | New York |
June 05, 2013 | $1.18m | 247 % | Sotheby's | Paris |
May 03, 1989 | $340,000 | 143 % | Christie's | New York |
May 06, 1987 | $140,000 | - | Christie's | New York |
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