Auction Results: 20th/21st Century Evening and Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sales, June 28 and 29, 2023 @Christie’s London

The few photography lots included the contemporary art sales at Christie’s in London last week generally met expectations. The top lot Barbara Kruger print sold within its estimate range, and the overall Buy-In rate for photography came in below 20%, leading to Total Sales Proceeds for photography (of roughly £810K) that tallied up in the middle of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Summary Statistics
Total Lots 11
Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate £628000
Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate £967000
Total Lots Sold 9
Total Lots Bought In 2
Buy In % 18.18%
Total Sale Proceeds £812700

Here is the breakdown (using our usual Low, Mid, and High price tier definitions):

Detailed Breakdown
Low Total Lots 0
Total Low Lots Sold NA
Total Low Lots Bought In NA
Low Buy In % NA
Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots £0
Total Proceeds from Low Lots £0
Mid Total Lots 6
Total Mid Lots Sold 5
Total Mid Lots Bought In 1
Mid Buy In % 16.67%
Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots £127000
Total Proceeds from Mid Lots £138600
Total High Lots 5
Total High Lots Sold 4
Total High Lots Bought In 1
High Buy In % 20.00%
Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots £840000
Total Proceeds from High Lots £674100

The top photography lot by High estimate was lot 117, Barbara Kruger, Untitled (We Won’t Be Our Own Best Enemy), 1986-1987, estimated at £300000-500000; it was also the top photography outcome of the sales at £327600 (image above, via Christie’s.)

77.78% of the photo lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there was just one positive surprise in the sales (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (image above, via Christie’s):

Lot 59, Ahmed Mater, Magnetism (Triptych), 2021, estimated at £50000-70000, sold at £189000

Complete lot by lot results can be found here (20th/21st Century: London Evening) and here (Post-War and Contemporary Art Day).

Send this article to a friend

Read more about: Ahmed Mater, Barbara Kruger, Christie's

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recent Articles

Marwan Bassiouni, New Swiss Views

Marwan Bassiouni, New Swiss Views

JTF (just the facts): Published in 2024 by The Sand Station (here). Hardcover (22.5 x 29.8 cm), 108 pages, with 41 color photographs. Design by Amir Avraham. Islamic calligraphy by ... Read on.

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter

This field is required.