Leading artists worldwide 2023, by auction revenue
Pablo Picasso was the most valuable artist at auction in 2023. That year, the combined revenue of Picasso's works sold at fine art auctions worldwide amounted to roughly 597 million U.S. dollars. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Zhang Daqian followed in the ranking in 2023, with total auction revenue of around 238 million and 231 million U.S. dollars, respectively.
Which countries are leading the fine art auction market?
In 2023, the United States generated the highest revenue at public auctions of fine art and NFTs worldwide, followed by China. When considering the overall art market, the United States led again the way, accounting for over 40 percent of the global art market value, ahead of China and the United Kingdom.
Which sector generates the highest revenue at fine art auctions?
In 2023, Post-War and Contemporary art were the most profitable sectors based on fine art auction revenue worldwide, representing over a half of global fine art sales. When looking at the combined auction sales of Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips worldwide, Post-War and Contemporary art generated approximately 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.