It was just another day in the art market at the evening sale of contemporary art at Sotheby’s New York on Nov. 11, 2009 -- though admittedly it was a pretty good day. Sotheby’s sold 52 of 54 lots, or more than 96 percent, for a total of $134,438,000 with premium. The sum is well above the $74.1 million total at Christie’s New York the night before, and a bit more than the $125 million Sotheby’s did in May 2009, when we were less far along in our jobless economic recovery. The total remains down considerably from the record $362 million of only one year ago.
