DALLAS, TX.- Heritages April 23 Prints & Multiples Signature® Auction realized just over $2.07 million and set five auction records, led by a standout result for David Hockney and strong performances across a tightly curated selection of postwar and contemporary works.
The top lot of the sale and a new auction record for the edition was Hockneys Lithographic Water Made of Lines, Crayon and Two Blue Washes (197880), which achieved $225,000. A second major Hockney, Hotel Acatlan, Two Weeks Later, from Moving Focus (1985), realized $162,500, reinforcing sustained demand for the artists technically ambitious prints.
This was a very focused sale, and the results show that collectors are responding to quality and significance, says Desiree Pakravan, Heritages Consignment Director of Prints & Multiples. When you bring together works that represent key moments in an artists printmaking practice, the market responds with confidence.
Andy Warhols enduring market strength was evident in multiple results, including Mick Jagger (1975), which realized $150,000, alongside a second example at $84,375. Additional attention centered on three rare proofs from Warhols Flowers series (1970), which brought $22,500, $21,250 and $21,250. Offered as unsigned, unnumbered and untrimmed works, these early proofs are seldom seen and drew competitive bidding.
The Flowers proofs generated a great deal of interest, says Rebecca Lax, Heritage's Consignment Director for Prints and Multiples based in NYC. Collectors are increasingly attuned to works that reveal process, and when those pieces have strong provenance, they can offer both rarity and accessibility within an iconic body of work.
The auction also produced four additional auction records for individual works, reflecting strength across a range of collecting categories. Alex Katzs Ada with Flowers (1980) achieved a record $38,750, while Roy Lichtensteins The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Poster (1969) realized $52,500, also a new high. Records were likewise set for Wayne Thiebauds Down Mariposa, from Recent Etchings II (1979), at $11,250, and Jacob Lawrences Play (1999), which brought $22,500.
Works by Pablo Picasso performed solidly, contributing to the auctions overall strength and underscoring continued demand for editioned works by foundational figures of modern art. Across the board, the sale demonstrated the resilience of the blue-chip print market, with collectors competing for both canonical images and less commonly offered material.
With 583 bidders participating across just 96 lots, the April 23 auction reflected an engaged and selective buyer base. Competitive bidding was evident at multiple price points, particularly for works tied to important series, major collaborations and innovative printmaking techniques.
What were seeing is a very informed and thoughtful market, Pakravan adds. Collectors are looking closely at how these works were made, who they were made with, and where they fit within an artists larger body of work. That level of engagement is translating into strong, consistent results.