Eight Records at Christie's

There was no rest for the wicked last night at Christie's as the market for Contemporary art proved just as strong as ever. The $348.2 million sale was packed with buyers, dealers, and numerous well-dressed women there to watch the action. Maybe they knew that Valentino was going to take a front-row seat. The fashion designer lost out on one lot but bought a Richard Prince "Nurse" painting — for a record $7.43 million price.

With a remarkable 95% of the 56-lot sale finding buyers, the idea that the Contemporary art market might crash seems quaint now. Mark Rothko's "No. 15" sold for $50.4 million. And there were eight record prices made, including Tom Wesselmann's "Smoker #9," which went for $6.76 million. Sam Francis, Adolph Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, Robert Indiana, and Peter Halley also made record prices. But the evening will perhaps be best remembered for the fact that Lucian Freud reclaimed his crown — by a wide margin — as the world's most valuable living artist. His nude portrait sold for $33.6 million.