Bonhams Prepares for Modern & Contemporary Art Online Auction

Bonhams's upcoming Modern & Contemporary Art Online auction presents a diverse array of twentieth-century and contemporary works. Among the highlights is Malcolm Morley’s monumental, three-dimensional canvas Flight of Icarus, which carries an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. Jiří Georg Dokoupil’s Herbst (Autumn), a sprawling, textured canvas, is estimated at $40,000 to $60,000. John Armleder’s minimalist Clematis viticella, Pat Steir’s expressive Drawing Lesson in Black, Eduardo Abela’s intimate Cuban painting El niño dormido, Sue Williams’s provocative Self Portrait with Picasso, and Xenia Hausner’s dramatic Death Maiden are each estimated at $30,000 to $50,000. Additionally, José Bedia’s large-scale, symbolic work Dones de la Virgen is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.

This online auction follows a busy summer for the house. In July, Bonhams held several notable sales, including California, Western & Hawaiian Art Online, which realized $379,085 across 140 lots sold. That same month, The Art of Hawaiʻi brought in $1,706,798 across 125 lots sold, while the Fine Silver and Wedgwood sale achieved $1,338,141 across 261 lots sold.

For industry professionals tracking the wider market, this sale represents a key moment. The broader art category has realized a massive $232,654,277 across all tracked houses this year, maintaining a healthy average sell-through rate of 86.2%, with Phillips leading the category. Bonhams itself has established a strong presence, with a year-to-date total of $6,220,476 in this category alone, achieving an 81.4% sell-through rate. Across all its departments, the house's year-to-date total stands at $18,496,614 over 20 concluded sales.

As an upcoming auction that is not yet open for bidding, the sale offers collectors an accessible entry point into the contemporary market, with bidding yet to begin on these premier works.