Brown and Black in Reds, an abstract work in reddish tones by Mark Rothko, opened the week on May 14 by being sold at Sotheby’s for 85.8 million dollars.It belonged to the collection of gallery owner Robert Mnuchin, who passed away last December, along with 10 other pieces; all of them found a new owner, and a total of about 166 million dollars was obtained.

Two interested parties entered into an intense bidding war, causing this painting to become the second most expensive Rothko sold at an auction, after the sale of another of his works for 89.6 million in 2012.

This is one of the three most valuable pieces of the season along with a painting by Jackson Pollock and a bust by Constantin Brancusi, sold for 181 million and 107 respectively at Christie’s days later. The house raised more than 1,121 million dollars in a single night, more than half from sales of the collection of publishing magnate SI Newhouse, to which the works of Pollock and Brancusi belonged, and the other half from a 20th-century art sale.

Specialists state that rivals Sotheby's and Christie’s, along with other smaller houses, can reach a total collection of about 2,500 million dollars.

The figures keep experts optimistic, as they confirm that the art market has gained momentum again after two years weighed down by geopolitical uncertainty, tariff policies, or rising operating costs.

It is worth mentioning the simultaneous appearance of several important works by Rothko, something unusual. However, far from saturating the market, the sales demonstrated that the artist remains one of the most solid and desired names in contemporary art.

The coincidence of these auctions with fairs such as TEFAF and Frieze once again consolidated New York as the world center of the art market in 2026.

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