NEW YORK, NY.- Keith Haring’s Untitled (The Church of the Ascension Grace House Mural) achieved $3,860,075, a world auction record for a Keith Haring mural at Bonhams sale of Post-War & Contemporary Art on November 13. This was the first Haring mural ever to come to auction. The monumental 85ft mural was painted circa 1983/1984 in the stairwell of Grace House, a former convent and home of the Catholic Youth Organization in Upper Manhattan.

Bruno Vinciguerra, Bonhams Executive Chairman, commented: “Keith Haring’s mural was one of the stand-out lots of this auction week – and we were delighted with the result. The work generated an enormous amount of interest during its exhibition and we welcomed visitors to Bonhams from all around the globe. The success of today’s sale as a whole was testament to the quality of the works on offer.”

One of Haring’s least-known, best-hidden treasures, The Grace House Mural was painted by the artist in a single night without a preparatory sketch or underpainting. The 13 figures have been described as a “lexicon of Haring’s vocabulary”. It contains his iconic figures such as the Radiant Baby, the Barking Dog, and the figures dancing. The mural was consigned on behalf of Ascension Church to fund major capital projects at the parish, including significant accessibility upgrades.

Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary Art Sale as a whole achieved a total of $6,626,300.

Other highlights included:

• Helen Frankenthaler’s Mica, 1981, an extraordinary example of Frankenthaler's groundbreaking soak-stain technique from her mature period of the 1980s and having remained in the same private collection since 1994 sold for $487,575.

• All three lots by Louise Nevelson sold, with Rain Forest Column XVIII, achieving $225,075.

• George Condo Simon Bar Sinister, 2009, made $250,075.

• Sam Francis’ Of the Rope Star (SFF:636), 1973-1974, acrylic on canvas, sold for $237,575.

• A collection of Alexander Calder jewelry, with Ring, 1960, achieving $60,075.