# New York Auction Houses Target $2.4 Billion in November Sales Major auction houses leverage single-owner collections to drive record-breaking sales despite market volatility. - **Source:** [The Art Newspaper](https://www.theartnewspaper.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-12 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/4c6a3c35-3cf6-4028-97ef-b67e2d29262b ## Ambitious Sales Targets New York auction houses including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips, and Bonhams are preparing for marquee November sales. They collectively anticipate revenue between $2.04 billion and $2.4 billion. This projection exceeds last year’s estimates, signaling confidence that wealthy collectors will remain active despite ongoing global market volatility and economic uncertainty. ## Strategic Collection Marketing Auction houses are increasingly relying on single-owner collections to anchor their seasonal events. By focusing on the legacies of collectors, firms can rebrand standard auctions into exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. This strategy creates compelling narratives that attract high-net-worth buyers who prioritize the provenance and historical context of the artworks. ## Sotheby’s Record Projection Sotheby’s leads the market with a record-breaking estimate exceeding $1.1 billion for the season. A significant portion of this total, roughly 40%, is driven by the Blaquier-Arrieta collection. This group of 12 Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Fauvist paintings is fully guaranteed, ensuring a high-value outcome for the auction house. ## The Blaquier-Arrieta Provenance The collection was assembled by Argentine sugar magnate Carlos Pedro Blaquier and his wife, María Elena Arrieta de Blaquier. The couple’s five children consigned the works for the 18 November sale. Carlos Pedro Blaquier, who died in 2023, previously faced legal allegations regarding the kidnapping of activists during Argentina's military dictatorship. ## Van Gogh’s Market Potential The headline lot is Vincent van Gogh’s 1890 masterpiece, Blossoming Chestnut Trees. With an estimate of approximately $180 million, the work is guaranteed to surpass the previous Van Gogh auction record of $117 million. This painting, created shortly before the artist's death, has rarely been seen by the public. ## Rare Cezanne Offering Paul Cezanne’s Arlequin, dated 1888–90, is another potential record-breaker with an estimate near $120 million. This piece is reportedly the final example from the artist’s harlequin series still held in private hands. It faces the challenge of exceeding the current Cezanne auction record of $137.79 million set in 2022. ## Market Recovery Indicators The current confidence follows a strong first half of 2026, where major houses reported a 70% year-on-year increase in global auction sales. Experts note that acquiring museum-quality works from commercial galleries has become nearly impossible, even for those with seven-figure budgets, further driving demand for these rare, private collections. ## Broader Industry Context Beyond the Blaquier-Arrieta trove, Sotheby’s will feature works from the collections of Armand Hammer, Richard and Elizabeth Hedreen, and Theodore and Ruth Baum. Meanwhile, Christie’s in Midtown prepares to highlight Wassily Kandinsky’s 1922 work, Betonte Ecken. These sales collectively reflect a shift toward high-value, curated estates defining the modern market. ## Sources covering this story - [The Art Newspaper — New York Auction Houses Target $2.4 Billion in November Sales](https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/11/12/new-york-autumn-2026-auctions-preview-bonhams-christies-phillips-sothebys) - [Artnet News — The Financial Dynamics of New York's $2 Billion Auction Week](https://news.artnet.com/market/new-york-auctions-november-2026-2835768) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._