Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting and “action painting” in which paint was poured or applied onto the canvas with extreme physicality to reflect the artist’s inner mind. He became famous after an article in the August 8, 1949, edition of Life magazine asked in its headline “Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?” Pollock's most famous paintings were made during this "drip period" between 1947 and 1950. His notable works include “The She-Wolf” (1944) and “Lavender Mist” (1950), which exemplify gestural abstraction.During his lifetime, Pollock struggled with alcoholism, which eventually led to his death at age 44 in a car accident.In the past 10 years, his official auction record of $58.4 million (including buyer’s premium) was achieved at Christie's New York in May 2013, for his work “Number 19, 1948”. Here is a performance analysis of Jackson Pollock’s artworks in the auction market:1. Sales Trend in the Past 10 YearsPollock’s artworks had a record year in 2013, with total sales of $113.4 million for 8 lots. The number of lots sold year on year has remained in the range of 8 to 14 in the past five years. The following graph illustrates the artist’s year-on-year performance in total sales and number of works sold. Referring to the Blouin Art Sales Index (BASI) data, currently Pollock features in the top 25 artists in post-war and contemporary art genre.2. Volume of Artworks on Offer vs. Bought-in RateA trend of artworks offered at auction and the bought-in rate can be observed in the graph below. In the period 2014 to 2016, the bought-in rate for the artist was in the range of 25 percent to 28 percent. However, in 2017 this measure fell to 17 percent and it could be seen that the number of lots on offer also went up to 17 (from 14 in 2016).3. Bought-ins by Auction HousesMost of his artworks have sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s (99.9 percent). In the past three years, all of his artworks featuring in Sotheby’s auctions have been sold, whereas there have been bought-ins at Christie’s. An overall trend of volume of artworks on offer and the bought-in rates at the top two auction houses are shown below.4. Average and Median Sale Price Trend in the Past 10 YearsIn 2013, Pollock’s sale price averaged at an all-time high of $14.18 million, which can be attributed to the record-setting sale of “Number 19, 1948” for $58.4 million at Christie’s New York. In the past three years, there has been a decline in the number of his paintings sold at auction, bringing down the average and median sale price of the artist. 5. Highest-Priced ArtworksPollock’s top artworks in terms of price were sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s New York. The highest-priced work was “Number 19, 1948” which sold for $58.4 million in 2013. The work, with oil and enamel on paper mounted on canvas, is signed and dated 'Jackson Pollock 48' (upper left).The second-highest artwork was “Number 4, 1951,” in oil, enamel and aluminum paint on canvas, at $40.4 million in 2012. “Number 16, 1949,” oil and enamel on paper mounted on masonite, painted in 1949, came in third at $32.6 million in 2013.6. Price Band in Which His Works Have Sold in the Past 20 YearsMost of his works (61.5 percent) have sold for less than $100,000 in the past 20 years. In the same period, 9 artworks (6.1 percent) have sold for over $10 million.7. Where His Works Have Sold the Most in the Past 20 YearsIt is evident from the graph below that all sales for the artist both in value and volume are coming through the top two auction houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s.The geographical share of his sales is also shown below.http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder Louise Blouin
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