The market for the later prints of Henri Cartier-Bresson proved to be exceptionally strong at Phillips’ recent single artist sale drawn from the collection of gallery owner Peter Fetterman. With an overall Buy-In rate under 7% and more than 20 positive surprises, the Total Sale Proceeds soared far above the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 120 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $919000 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $1325000 |
| Total Lots Sold | 112 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 8 |
| Buy In % | 6.67% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $2044125 |
Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 63 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 56 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 7 |
| Low Buy In % | 11.11% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $495000 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $713500 |
| Mid Total Lots | 57 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 56 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 1 |
| Mid Buy In % | 1.75% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $830000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $1330625 |
| Total High Lots | 0 |
| Total High Lots Sold | NA |
| Total High Lots Bought In | NA |
| High Buy In % | NA |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $0 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $0 |
The top lot by High estimate was tied between two lots: lot 2, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1952/later, and lot 91, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bolshoi Ballet School, Moscow, USSR, 1954/later, both estimated at $15000-25000 (images in preview post). Lot 2 sold at $43750 and lot 91 sold at $23750. The top outcome of the sale was lot 17, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hyères, France, 1932/later, estimated at $12000-18000, sold at $100000 (image above, via Phillips).
99.11% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 22 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):
Lot 12, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martine Franck, Paris, 1967/later, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $38750 (image above via Phillips)
Lot 17, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hyères, France, 1932/later, estimated at $12000-18000, sold at $100000 (image above via Phillips)
Lot 20, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Briançon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France, 1951/later, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $17500
Lot 29, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris, c1955/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $23750
Lot 31, Henri Cartier-Bresson, On the Place du Tertre, Montmartre, Paris, 1952/later, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $16250
Lot 32, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sunday on the banks of the Seine, 1938/later, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $35000 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 35, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Henri Matisse observing a ceramic vase by Pablo Picasso, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, 1951/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $40000 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 37, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Scanno, L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy, 1951/later, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $30000 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 38, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Siphnos, Greece, 1961/later, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $52500 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 40, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Naples, Italy, 1960/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $27500
Lot 41, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Salerno, Italy, 1933/later, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $13750
Lot 51, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Seville, Spain, 1933/later, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $18750
Lot 52, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Córdoba, Spain, 1933/later, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $18750
Lot 54, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Coronation of King George VI, London, 1937/later, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $27500
Lot 57, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Liverpool, England, 1962/later, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $20000
Lot 63, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Győr, Hungary, 1964/later, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $37500 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 72, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bass player on the road Belgrade-Kraljevo, to play at a village festival near Rudnik, Serbia, Yugoslavia, 1965/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $18750
Lot 73, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Srinagar, Kashmir, 1948/later, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $32500 (image above, via Phillips)
Lot 77, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Festivities for the 39th Birthday of the Maharajah (The diamonds once belong to Napoleon), Gujarat, Baroda [Vadodara], India, 1948/later, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $16250
Lot 103, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Near the Hall of Records, Manhattan, 1947/later, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $13750
Lot 106, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Truman Capote, New Orleans, 1947/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $22500
Lot 120, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Near Céreste, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France (self-portrait), 1999/later, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $52500 (image above, via Phillips)
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
