Near MintThe Art Terminal

Records as they fall

The book of records.

An artist’s auction record, the price that beat it, and the house’s own release behind both. A record is discovered on a house’s release and confirmed against that same release — which is the primary source a record would be checked against anyway, so discovery through the houses skips a step rather than adding one.

SaleArtistThe recordPrice achievedHouseSource
23 Sept 2026Henri Matisse midLa nageuse dans l'aquarium (The £28,380 3 Swimmer in the Tank), plate 12 from Jazz (D. 22), £7,000 – 9,000 $38,001/€33,122 1947 *previous see C. Bks. 66), 1944 $9,500/€8,281 Marc Chagall, La joie de vivre (The Joy of Life) (M. £9,030 40 £5,000–7,000 472), 1967 $12,091/€10,539 · lot 9record price: 18,750 USD premium in 2013 Pablo Picasso, Tête (Head), plate 5 from Six contes fantasques (Six Whimsical Tales) (Bl. 367, Ba. 695,previous · 9,520 EUR set in 2006£7,095.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
26 Jun 2026Andrew Cranston upperMeditation in a tenement, 2023 · lot 1New World Auction Record for Andrew Cranstonprevious · £63,000 set in 2024£83,850.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jun 2026Chuck CloseSelf-Portrait, 2015 · lot 91WORLD RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · $18,000 set in 2025$23,220.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jun 2026Damien HirstThe Souls on Jacob’s Ladder Take Their Flight, 2007 · lot 40WORLD RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · $95,000 set in 2009$122,550.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jun 2026Ed RuschaMade in U.S.A. or America, Her Best Product, from Kent Bicentennial Portfolio: Spirit of Independence, 1974-75 · lot 2WORLD RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · $19,000 set in 2009$24,510.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jun 2026Robert RauschenbergSigns, 1970 · lot 13WORLD RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · $85,000 set in 2023$109,650.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jun 2026Roy LichtensteinI Love Liberty, 1982 · lot 9WORLD RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · $165,000 set in 2005$212,850.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026F.P.JOURNEChronomètre à Résonance “Souscription, No. 007”, circa 2000 · lot 10WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A WATCH BY F.P.JOURNE AND WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A WATCH BY AN INDEPENDENT WATCHMAKER$13,922,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026F.P.JOURNETourbillon Anniversaire Historique “T30”, 2014 · lot 79WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MODEL$2,032,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026F.P.JOURNEOcta Chronographe “Swiss FineTiming”, 2008 · lot 83WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MODEL$2,032,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026F.P.JOURNEChronomètre Souverain “Swiss FineTiming”, 2008 · lot 84WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MODEL$1,968,500.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026F.P.JOURNETourbillon Souverain Anniversaire “Hong Kong”, "Number 1 of 5”, circa 2010 · lot 85WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MODEL$4,355,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026PATEK PHILIPPERef. 1518 in 18 karat rose gold with silver dial, 1948 · lot 101WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE CONFIGURATION$3,992,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026PATEK PHILIPPERef. 5004G-020 “Eric Clapton”, 2008 · lot 88WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE MODEL$5,202,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
14 Jun 2026VOUTILAINENMasterpiece Chronograph II “Number 1 of 10”, circa 2012 · lot 105WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE BRAND$1,841,500.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Andy Warhol upperTomato, from Campbell's Soup I (F. & S. 46), 1968 · lot 3WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR ANY CAMPBELL’S SOUP EDITION BY THE ARTIST£154,800.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Damien Hirst upperThe Last Supper, 1999 · lot 45WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE SET£77,400.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Gerald Laing upperBrigitte Bardot; and Baby Baby Wild Things (H. & I. 22-27), 1968 · lot 15WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE SETprevious · £23,940 in 2025£28,380.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Julian Opie upperThis is Shahnoza in 3 Parts (1) (C. 127), 2008 · lot 62WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE PRINTprevious · £23,750 in 2013£36,120.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Salvador Dalí midLe mannequin javanais (The Javanese Mannequin) (D. 318), 1969 · lot 35WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · 58,000 FF ($10,876) in 1992£20,640.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Salvador Dalí midL'escargot et l'ange (The Snail and the Angel) (D. 594), 1977/84 · lot 36WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE EDITIONprevious · £11,250 in 2008£18,060.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
4 Jun 2026Tracey Emin midBelieve in Extraordinary, 2015 · lot 66WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE PRINTprevious · £12,700 in 2023£14,190.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
21 May 2026Edvard EriksonThe Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue), circa 1910–1913 · lot 125Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $150,916 set in 2008$541,800.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
21 May 2026Harald Slott-MøllerSummer Day (Sommerdag), 1888 · lot 103Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $71,986 set in 1995$1,290,000.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
21 May 2026Kikuo SaitoCerise, 2009 · lot 130Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $175,000 in 2004$245,100.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
21 May 2026March AveryMolly in the Gazebo, 1982 · lot 128Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $43,309 set in 2005$141,900.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
21 May 2026Woody de OthelloAt Night I Can’t Sleep, 2018 · lot 314Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $20,320 set in 2025$54,180.00with fees · USD · VAT not statedPhillipsNew YorkThe release · PDFconfirmed
7 Mar 2026Joel Ballin upperStudy of a Model, Young Girl Undressing (Modelstudie, en ung pige klæder sig af), 1844 · lot 153Auction record (scope not stated in the release)previous · $6,240 set in 1994£49,020.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
7 Mar 2026Lancelot Ribeiro blue chipLandscape at Noon, 1964 · lot 176NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD£516,000.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
5 Mar 2026Anna Ancher upperYoung Girl Reading a Letter (Ung pige, der læser et brev), 1902 · lot 6Record Set for Anna Ancherprevious · $146,551 set in 2006£154,800.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jan 2026Damien Hirst upperTetrahydrocannabinol, 2004 · lot 41WORLD AUCTION RECORD£90,300.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jan 2026David Hockney upperThe Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) – 26 April, 2011 · lot 19WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THIS IMAGE IN THE SERIES£206,400.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed
24 Jan 2026Pablo Picasso upperCouple et flûtistes au bord d'un lac Ba. 1259), 1959 · lot 7WORLD AUCTION RECORD£154,800.00with fees · GBP · VAT not statedPhillipsLondonThe release · PDFconfirmed

Where a record is confirmed, and why that matters

A price is only publishable with its basis. Phillips states its own footing on every release, so a “Price Achieved” is recorded as with fees— hammer plus buyer’s premium. The release does not say whether VAT on the premium is inside the figure, so the row says VAT not stated rather than guessing.

“Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.”

standard footnote on every Phillips press release

Not covered yet: Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams. A house that does not serve its releases to an honest crawler is named here, not worked around.

The rules this book keeps

  • A record that only announces itself is not a record. 'Poised to achieve', 'to be offered' and 'expected to set' are previews; only a figure achieved at a sale is entered.
  • No price is entered without its basis. Where a release does not state the basis, the row is a refusal, not a number.
  • A record is confirmed only against the house's own release. A single outlet's report stays unconfirmed.
  • The User-Agent is never changed to reach a house that refused an honest bot.
  • No model writes a record. Every figure in a row is copied from the release text; if the model is unavailable the Record Book still works, because it publishes facts rather than prose.

as of 2026-09-19· Every figure is copied from the house’s release, never generated.