Bill Hammond Painting Sells for $1.7m
Melting Moments I by Bill Hammond sold for $1.7m in our August Works of Art auction, setting a new record for the artist.
The much-anticipated August Works of Art auction proved a thrilling highlight of the year so far, with Bill Hammond's Melting Moments I becoming one of New Zealand’s most expensive artworks - selling for an incredible final price of $1,715,000, and a number of other works achieving sensational results.
The painting garnered a huge amount of pre-auction interest. Both our Wellington and Auckland galleries welcomed a steady stream of visitors during the viewing period, and we thank each of you for coming. The final hammer price is one very rarely seen in New Zealand, and represents a new sales record for works from the late Hammond — almost doubling the previous record price of $940,000, which Webb’s achieved for sister piece Melting Moments II in 2021. The sale reaffirms Hammond’s status as one of our true great 'blue chip' artists.
Other auction highlights from the evening include Teuane Tibbo's Butterfly Flowers, which sold well above estimate at $25,709, and Brent Wong's architectural study The Bequest, which achieved $177,516.
The results from Works of Art exemplify a local market that continues to mature beautifully, and we are honoured to witness and be part of this. If you have a major work that you are considering bringing to market, please contact us for an obligation-free appraisal.
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