By Carter B. Horsley and Michele Leight

Phillips de Pury's evening auction of Contemporary Art November 10, 2005 is highlighted by a very good paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, Julian Schnabel and Eric Fischl and excellent sculptures by Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley and Takashi Murakami.

The most haunting work in this auction is Lot 72, "Domain III," by Antony Gormley (b. 1950). A 75-by-20 1/2-inch wield steel sculpture of a human body, it was executed in 1999. It has a modest estimate of $150,000 to $200,000. It sold for $228,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

The sale was quite successful with 94.5 percent of the 73 offered lots selling for a total of $22,882,800. The pre-sale estimates were $18,395,000 to $26,255,000. Michael McGinnis, the head of the auction house's Contemporary Art Department, said after the sale that "the result was very, very strong," adding that about half the buyers were American and half European. He noted that there were about 1,000 people attending the auction, about 250 more than the spring auction.

While the sale was not as spectacular as those earlier in the week at Sotheby's and Christie's, in part because Phillips de Pury concentrates on post-1980 contemporary art, it did set 10 new world auction records for individual artists.

The following lots set new artist's auction records:

Lot 1, "Dona diabla (The Devil is a Woman," by Francesco Vezzoli (b. 1971), a quite lovely color laser print on canvas with metallic embroidery, was estimate at $20,000 to $30,000. It was executed in 2002. It sold for $43,200.

Lot 3, "Untitled," by Piotr Uklanski, colored pencil shavings with adhesive and Plexiglass, in bird's eye maple frame, is an impressive and finely textured abstraction that measures 60 1/4 by 110 1/4 by 4 inches. Executed in 2002, it had an estimate of $80,000 to $100,000. It sold for $228,000.

Lot 4, "The Long Count (I Shook Up The World)," by Paul Pfeiffer (b. 1966), is a video installation from an edition of six plus one artist's proof. Executed in 2000, it had an estimate of $80,000 to $100,000. It sold for $144,000.

Lot 5, "Untitled (Czeczenia)," by Wilhelm Sasnal (b. 1972), consists of two oils on canvas, one 27 5/8 by 31 1/2 and the other 17 3/4 by 21 1/2 inches. Executed in 200, it had an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $120,000.

Lot 8, "Hauptgebaude," by Neo Rauch (b. 1960), is an oil on canvas that measures 98 3/4 by 82 3/4 inches. Executed in 2004, it had an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. It sold for $453,8000.

Lot 11, "Stardust, " by Jack Pierson (b. 1960), consists of found metal and plastic objects in the shapes of letters and was executed in 1995. It had an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $216,000.

Lot 13, "Can't Explain," by Erik Parker (b. 1968), is an oil on canvas that measures 90 by 66 inches. Executed in 2002, it had an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $42,000.

Lot 25, "Memory Ware Flat #2," by Mike Kelly (b. 1954) consists of paper, pulp, tile grout, acrylic, miscellaneous beads, buttons and jewelry on wooden panel, 70 1/2 by 46 1/2 inches. Executed in 2000, it had an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000. It sold for $452,800.

Lot 51, "A Diagonal and Curved Line Within Two Rectangles," by Robert Mangold (b. 1937), is an acrylic and graphite on canvas in two parts, 70 by 90 inches. Executed in 1978, it had an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $234,000.

Lot 71, "Dog Bite Series," by Eika-Liisa Ahtila (b. 1969) is a series of eight color photographs, each 43 3/8 by 32 inches. Executed between 1992 to 1997, it had an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $33,600.

Lot 42, "Black on Black Retrospective," is a synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen on canvas by Andy Warhol (1928-1987). Executed in 1979, it measures 29 3/4 by 74 inches. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,088,000.

The most fun work in the auction is Lot 16, "Panda," by Takashi Murakami (b. 1963). It is made of fiberglass with an antique Louis Vuitton trunk and wooden pedestal, it measures 100 1/2 by 65 by 43 inches. It was executed in 2003. It has an estimate of $350,000 to $450,000. It sold for $385,600.

Lot 41 is an excellent ceramic plate fragments work by Julian Schnabel (b. 1951) that is entitled "Portrait of a Freedom Fighter." An oil on wooden panel with the plate fragments and epoxy, it measures 71 5/8 by 60 1/4 inches and was executed in 1984. It has a modest estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for $204,000.

Lot 47 is a strong work by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) that is entitled "Reflections on a Crash." A graphite, acrylic, painted and printed paper on board, it measures 54 by 70 inches. Executed in 1989, it has an estimate of $1,200,000 to $1,800,000. It sold for $1,248,000.

Lot 22 is a large and important work by Damien Hirst (b. 1966) that is entitled "Love Lost." It consists of a fish swimming in a very large tank filled with surgical equipment. It measures 107 7/8 by 83 7/8 by 83 7/8 inches and was executed in 1999. It has an estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $800,000. One of the fish in the tank died during the auction, but Alexander Peers of the Wall Street Journal remarked when informed of the death that there is an old Chinese saying that when your fish dies it takes away evil from the owner.

Lot 35, "Wishing Well," is a mirror with gilded wood on frame by Jeff Koons (b. 1955) that measures 87 by 56 by 8 inches. Executed in 1988, it is from an edition of three plus one artist's proof. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,024,000.

Lot 39 is a large and impressive oil on canvas by Eric Fischl (b. 1948), entitled "Stuntman." It measures 55 3/4 by 89 inches and was executed in 1981. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $520,000.

Phillips de Pury & Company has announced the formation of an advisory board that includes Aby Rosen, the real estate entrepreneur, Marc Jacobs, H. I. H. Francesca von Habsburg, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, Christiane zu Salm, Juergen Teller, the designer, Mario Testino, Lapo Elkann, Lady Elena Foster, who is the wife of Sir Norman Foster, the architect, Lisa Eisner, a publisher, and Maria Bell.

It kicked off its fall season with a sale of more than 100 works of contemporary art and design from the private collection of Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis November 7, 2005.

Simon de Pury has also announced that the auction house has opened a Paris office in The Hotel d'Hallwyl, the last private-owned structure in Paris designed by Claude-Nicholas Ledoux. The space was most recently owned by Anselm Kiefer, the artist.

Lot 57 is an untitled oil, graphite and pastel on canvas by Cy Twombly (b. 1928) that was executed in 1961. It measures 9 3/4 by 13 7/8 inches. It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $335,200.

Lot 69, "Seven Masks," is a suite of seven Cibachrome prints mounted with aluminum by Paul McCarthy (b. 1945). Each print measures 72 by 47 inches and were printed in 1994 in an edition of three plus two artist's proofs of which this lot was one. It has an estimateof $150,000 to $200,000. It sold for $192,000.