The fall auction sales in New York next week are expected to top $1.4 billion, marking a 50% increase from last year and a potential rebound for the art market after three years of declines, according to art experts.

A star-studded lineup of famous trophy works — from a $150 million Gustav Klimt portrait to a multimillion-dollar gold toilet — will lead the auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips next week. Often the most important week of the year for the art market, the sales follow stronger-than-expected results for recent sales in Paris and London and could restore confidence in the art market.

Dealers and auction executives said the improvement is being driven by stronger demand as well as better supply. Falling interest rates, soaring stock prices and trillions of dollars in

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