Auction Sales Rebound as Private Deals Take Center Stage in 2026 Report
After several years of contraction, the auction market is showing a measurable lift. The Artnet Intelligence Report: The Year Ahead 2026 says global auction totals increased 13.3 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, a sign that the sector may be stabilizing after a prolonged downturn.
The report’s cover story, “Dark Mode,” turns to one of the art market’s least visible corners: private auctions. In that world, major paintings, cars, jewelry, and other high-value objects can change hands away from the public saleroom, sometimes with only a select group of collectors invited to participate. Katya Kazakina examines the mechanics of that discreet market and the players who have helped shape it.
The report also gathers perspectives from several figures with deep auction experience. Joe Maddalena, Patti Wong, and David Schrader each speak to the changing conditions in public salesrooms, bringing different vantage points from across the business. Margaret Carrigan contributes data that helps frame the broader state of play in the art industry.
The report is paired with a related Art Angle podcast conversation, in which Kazakina and Andrew Russeth discuss private auctions, the Intelligence Report, and expectations for the big May sales in New York. Together, the package suggests a market in transition: public auctions are regaining momentum, but private channels are becoming more central to how major works move.
For collectors, dealers, and auction watchers, the takeaway is less about a single strong season than about a structural shift. The auction world is not simply bouncing back; it is reorganizing around new forms of visibility, access, and competition.
