Top 10 Most-Searched Artists on artnet in 2013

Who were the most-searched artists on artnet in 2013? Find out.

Last year, art made headlines. Jay Z held a six-hour performance of Picasso Baby at Pace Gallery, where guests were invited to observe and participate. Inspired by Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present performance at MoMA, Jay Z had individual guests, including George Condo (American, b.1947), Andres Serrano (American, b.1950), Mickalene Thomas (American, b.1971), and Abramović herself, share the stage with him. Banksy (British, b. c.1974) took over New York City with his interactive exhibit Better Out Than In. His stencil and installation works around the five boroughs attracted attention from Street Art lovers and critics alike. New Yorkers followed Banksy’s website, which gave clues about the location of each piece. Some were taken down quickly by the property owners, and some were left alone for pedestrians to enjoy. Banksy’s final work for his residency, his name spelled out in giant balloons along a building in Queens, ended with involvement by the NYPD when a man attempted to steal the work. The art market exploded with record-breaking auctions at Christie’s New York, with Three Studies of Lucien Freud by Francis Bacon (Irish, 1909–1991) holding the top spot as most expensive artwork ever sold at US$142.4 million. In the same Christie’s sale, Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog (Orange) sold for US$58.4 million, which is the most expensive artwork by a living artist to sell at auction. Who were artnet users curious about? According to our data, here are the top 10 artists searched on artnet in 2013.

Chinese Vase infographic

10. Alexander Calder, Ballons et cerfs volants, color lithograph, c.1970
9. Vik Muniz, Hummingbird (Pictures of scrap metal), photograph, 2012
8. Marc Chagall, La nuit enchantée, oil on canvas, 1964
7. Keith Haring, Untitled #742, vinyl paint on vinyl tarp, 1983
6. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Pecho/Oreja), acrylic, oil stick, and paper collage on canvas, 1982–1983
5. Michael Dweck, Untitled, photograph
4. Roy Lichtenstein, Still life, oil and Magna on canvas, 1972
3. Banksy, Bomb Hugger, 2002
2. Pablo Picasso, Tête de femme au chapeau, oil on canvas, 1965
1. Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, color silkscreen, c.1962–1967

Illustrations by Jenn Cortés


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