Phillips led the consignment battle again this Fall season, with the most aggregate photography value (and the most lots) on offer of the three major auction houses. Led by an early Gilbert & George multi-panel work, the two-session sale highlights include lesser known/unpublished works from Arbus, Friedlander, and others in the collection of Ruth Ansel (a former Harper’s Bazaar art director), as well as key vintage works from Weston, Steichen, and Frank. Overall, there are a total of 257 lots available in the sale, with a Total High Estimate of $7333500.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 81 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $531500 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 144 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $3117000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 32 |
| Total High Estimate | $3685000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 16, Gilbert & George, Day, 1978, estimated at $600000-800000 (image above, via Phillips).
Here’s the complete list of photographers with five or more lots in the sale, along with the number of lots on offer:
| Multiple Lots For Sale | |
|---|---|
| Diane Arbus | 14 |
| Richard Avedon | 10 |
| Peter Beard | 8 |
| Irving Penn | 8 |
| Bill Brandt | 7 |
| Nick Brandt | 7 |
| Robert Mapplethorpe | 6 |
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | 5 |
| Lee Friedlander | 5 |
| Horst P. Horst | 5 |
| André Kertész | 5 |
| Sebastião Salgado | 5 |
Other lots of interest include (images above, via Phillips):
Lot 5, Robert Frank, City Fathers, Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955-1956/1960s, estimated at $200000-300000
Lot 8, Edward Weston, Untitled (Tina on the Azotea, with Kimono), 1924, estimated at $80000-120000
Lot 10, Hiroshi Sugmoto, World Trade Center, 1997, estimated at $60000-80000
Lot 11, Edward Steichen, George Washington Bridge, New York, 1931, estimated at $50000-70000
Lot 114, Diane Arbus, Marina Christina Drew, N.Y.C., 1964, estimated at $20000-30000
Lot 116, Lee Friedlander, Untitled (Lincoln), 1963, estimated at $8000-12000
Lot 129, Richard Avedon, The Chicago Seven, Chicago, September 25, 1969, 1969/1975, estimated at $15000-25000
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
