In Sotheby’s evening auction of contemporary art on October 12, Gerhard Richter’s “Abstraktes Bild (809-4)” from the collection of Eric Clapton sold for the remarkable sum of $34,190,756, establishing the record price at auction for the artist and a new benchmark price for the work of any living artist. Painted in 1994, the work measures 88½ by 78¾ inches.

Combined, the evening auctions of contemporary art and Twentieth Century Italian art brought a total of $95.6 million, surpassing presale expectations and setting a new record for an October series of evening sales during Frieze Week. In total, 16 lots sold for more than $1 million, and five artist records were set. A complete review of the contemporary art sale will appear in a future issue.