8 Artists to Collect Who Broke Auction Records in 2018

As the spring auction season comes to a close, discover eight groundbreaking artists who set new auction records in 2018.

While paintings by Joan Mitchell, Kerry James Marshall, and David Hockney have fetched multimillion-dollar prices in 2018, there are many opportunities to collect these artists for less. From prints to wallpapers, the works below are a great way to get started.

To buy any of these pieces, you can click on the image and contact the gallery directly.

Joan Mitchell

In May, Christie’s ushered a new record—$16.6 million with fees—for the Abstract Expressionist, whose paintings were also in high demand at the most recent edition of Art Basel.

Mitchell’s signature loose brushwork is also evident in her limited edition prints, such as these pieces created with the Tyler workshop right before her death.

$16,000–17,000

David Hockney

The subject of a recent traveling retrospective, Hockney broke his auction record twice in one night at Sotheby’s, ultimately finding a new high with a hammer price of $28.5 million.

While Hockney’s paintings often exceed six-figures in price, his prints offer a more accessible entrypoint.

$12,000–14,000

Diego Rivera

Selling at $9.76 million with fees, Rivera’s The Rivals (1931) became the most expensive work ever sold at auction by a Latin American artist.

While this standout painting is off the market, Rivera’s output was prolific—and you can find many of his available drawings and paintings on Artsy.

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Kerry James Marshall

Marshall’s Past Times (1997) sold for a historic $21.1 million with fees after a frenzied bidding war at Sotheby’s. The buyer was later revealed to be Sean “Diddy” Combs.

With Marshall’s signature dark color palette, these limited editions also make for a collectible pair.

$8,000

Henri Matisse

A star lot in Christie’s Rockefeller sale, Matisse’s Odalisque couchée aux magnolias (1923) reached $80.75 million with fees, nearly doubling the artist’s previous record of $48.8 million.

Matisse was also an avid printmaker, creating aquatints, drypoints, and lithographs that range in subject matter, rarity, and price point.

$40,000–50,000

Charles Ephraim Burchfield

The Rockefeller sale also welcomed a new record of $1.3 million with fees for this American regionalist painter, who is known for his dark, intimate portrayals of nature.  

Through Artsy, you can fill your home with Burchfield’s watercolors, drawings, and even wallpapers.

$2,500–75,000

Richard Diebenkorn

The mid-century American artist found a new market peak with the landscape Ocean Park #126 (1984), reaching $23.9 million with fees at Christie’s.

Diebenkorn’s portraits provide an early look into the artist’s stylistic range, often combining both figurative and abstract approaches in the same image.

$10,000–18,000

Lynn Chadwick

This March, a pair of Chadwick’s sculptures at Sotheby’s soared above the high estimate of £800,000 to reach £2.5 million with fees—a new high for the late British artist.

From sculpture to prints, Chadwick is known for his distinctive figures, which borrow their forms from architecture, drapery, and even insects.

£955–1,300