Photography Auction Market 2021

• Analyst: Lindsay Dewar
• Pages: 38
• Access: Analyst

Photography sales increase by 32% in 2021 as confidence returns to the high-end of the market

Total Photography sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips came in at $59.1 million in 2021, up 32.4% from $44.6 million in 2020, but 4.9% lower than pre-pandemic sales total in 2019.

Although Modern photography accounted for 54% of the sales total, it is the Contemporary photography segment that have seen the strongest growth in 2021. Total sales of Contemporary photography reached $22.4 million in 2021, up  from $11.3 million in 2020.

About this report:

The fourth edition of our redesigned photography market report, provides analysis of photography sold in Post-War & Contemporary evening, day, and Incubator sales in addition to dedicated photography sales in New York, London, and Paris. This report presents an in-depth comparative analysis of the photography auction market at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips between 2015 and 2021.

Who is it for?

This report is popular among dealers, auction houses and collectors, who want to get an in-depth understanding of auction trends in the photography market and follow the performance of the three top auction houses last year.

ArtTactic also offer bespoke reports on the Photography market. For further information please contact us on info@arttactic.com.

Analytical tools:

Comparable Performance: Photography sales performance comparison between Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips in New York, London and Paris including: Total sales, Lots sold, Average Prices and Auction Indicators.

Top Artists Analysis: Section looking at the top 20 artists sold across all sales channels.

Top Prices: Ranking by the highest prices achieved and by top price-to-estimate performance.

Photography Sales Channel Analysis: Photography sold at auction across all three sales channels with breakdown, analysis for and top prices.