MITCHELL, Joan
Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell (1925 – 1992) in her studio, Paris, France, September 1956. Photo: Loomis Dean / The LIFE Picture Collection / Shutterstock
Joan Mitchell was born in Chicago, IL in 1925. In 1947 Mitchell graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago and subsequently received a fellowship to travel to France. This period saw an increased abstraction in her work which positioned her to become an influential member of the New York School upon her return to the US in 1949. Despite becoming an established figure in the New York art scene, Mitchell moved to France permanently in 1958. Mitchell is known for working in oil on canvas, pastel on paper, and lithographic printing with a long career encompassing over four decades.
“Abstract is not a style. I simply want to make a surface work.”
Joan Mitchell: Artist Market Analysis
In 2023, Joan Mitchell had two pieces on the bestsellers list for Post-War artists, Untitled which sold for $29,160,000 at Christie’s on November 9, 2023 and Sunflowers which sold for $27,910,500 at Sotheby’s on November 15, 2023. These pieces represent the highest prices that had been achieved to date for Mitchell’s work with a total of $112,281,512 for total sales in 2023.
In 2023 there was high demand for top-tier Post-War works due to the limited inventory and historical footprint for the leading artists. Joan Mitchell is in the top 50 artists for total auction sales for 2024.
Since 2005, Mitchell’s market appears to be steadily rising in both total number of sales and average sale per year. Therefore at the time of posting, Mitchell’s pieces are expected to maintain or increase in value in the immediate future.
Untitled, c. 1959, oil on canvas, 97 1/2” x 86 1/2”
Sunflowers [diptych], 1990-91, oil on canvas, 110 1/4” x 157 1/2” (overall)
Joan Mitchell Recent Sales
$680,400
Composition
c. 1970, oil on canvas, 13 3/4” x 10 1/2”
Sold on May 17, 2024, Christie’s New York
$13,060,000
Chord X
1987, oil on canvas, 102 1/2” x 78 5/8”
Sold on May 16, 2024, Christie’s New York
$254,500
Untitled
1960, crayon on paper, 14 1/2” x 9 1/4”
Sold on May 15, 2024, Bonhams, New York
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bonhams : Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1992) Untitled. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21831/lot/8/?category=list.
“Brief Looks at 8 Masterworks in the ‘Joan Mitchell’ Retrospective.” SFMOMA, January 13, 2022. https://www.sfmoma.org/read/8-joan-mitchell-paintings/.
“Chord X.” JOAN MITCHELL (1925-1992), Chord X | Christie’s. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6482956.
“Composition.” Christie’s. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.christies.com/en.
Embuscado, Rain. “8 Quotes on Joan Mitchell’s Birthday.” Artnet News, February 12, 2016. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/joan-mitchell-quotes-for-birthday-426788.
“Joan Mitchell: Artist Profile.” NMWA, May 29, 2020. https://nmwa.org/art/artists/joan-mitchell/.
“Joan Mitchell: Biography.” Joan Mitchell Foundation. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.joanmitchellfoundation.org/joan-mitchell/biography.
McAndrew, Clare. Rep. Global Art Market Report 2024. Art Basel and UBS, n.d.
Petterson, Anders. “Hiscox Artist Top 100: 2024 Edition.” ArtTactic. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.hiscoxgroup.com/sites/group/files/documents/2024-04/HSX172_2024HAT100FB.pdf.
Rea, Naomi, ed. “The Intelligence Report: The Year Ahead 2024.” Artnet, n.d. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://media.artnet.com/image/upload/Intelligence%20Report%20Feb%202024/Artnet_IR_Year_Ahead_24.pdf.
“Sales per Year Joan Mitchell.” Joan Mitchell - Art Sales per Year. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.askart.com/artist_charts_sales_per_year/Joan_Mitchell/30075/Joan_Mitchell.aspx.
“Sunflowers: Contemporary Evening Auction: 2023.” Sotheby’s. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/contemporary-evening-auction-5/sunflowers.
“Untitled.” JOAN MITCHELL (1925-1992), Untitled | Christie’s. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6453094.
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