A Moholy-Nagy photogram was the top outcome at the recent Modern and Contemporary Photographs sale at Grisebach in Berlin, becoming the highest priced photograph (€487500) ever sold at auction in Germany. 16 positive surprises buoyed the rest of the sale, and while the overall Buy-In rate came in over 39%, the Total Sale Proceeds found their way to 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 | 210 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | €988800 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | €1464500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 128 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 82 |
| Buy In % | 39.05% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | €1199999 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 184 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 112 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 72 |
| Low Buy In % | 39.13% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | €489500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | €394999 |
| Mid Total Lots | 22 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 12 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 10 |
| Mid Buy In % | 45.45% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | €305000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | €157500 |
| Total High Lots | 4 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 4 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 0 |
| High Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | €670000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | €647500 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 2062, László Moholy-Nagy, Untitled, Weimar, 1923/1925, estimated at €300000-500000. It was also the top outcome of the sale at €487500 (image above, via Grisebach).
97.66% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 16 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above, via Grisebach):
Lot 2008, Elliott Erwitt, „Rio de Janeiro“, 1984, estimated at €3500-4500, sold at €9375
Lot 2013, Bleike Bleiken, Stairs, Kampen (Sylt), 1950/2010, estimated at €800-1200, sold at €2625
Lot 2018, Alfred Ehrhardt, Klarer Wellenbau, aus der Serie „Das Watt“, 1933/1937, estimated at €2500-3500, sold at €11250
Lot 2029, Miroslav Tichý, Untitled, 1970s/1980s, estimated at €2500-3500, sold at €7750
Lot 2032, Bettina Rheims, Emika, feeling like a new woman, 2014, estimated at €1000-1500, sold at €4750
Lot 2095, Wolf Strache, „Berlin: Shell-Haus“, 1935/later, estimated at €900-1300, sold at €4250
Lot 2108, Karl Hugo Schmölz, Cinema Atlantis on Weseler Str., Duisburg., 1955, estimated at €400-600, sold at €4000
Lot 2115, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Winter Day on the lake near Körbecke, 1946/1950s, estimated at €3000-4000, sold at €12500
Lot 2116, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Gas and Power, 1932, estimated at €5000-7000, sold at €42500
Lot 2118, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Gas Tank/Pit Hannover, Bochum-Hordel, Ruhr district, 1965/1974, estimated at €4000-6000, sold at €12500
Lot 2119, Piet Zwart, Stofzuigerslang (vacuum-cleaner tube), 1930, estimated at €500-700, sold at €1625
Lot 2150, Alexander Rodchenko, Pioneer Girl, 1930, estimated at €3000-5000, sold at €26250
Lot 2153, Dmitry Georgiyevich Debabov, Magnitogorsk, 1936, estimated at €1200-1800, sold at €3750
Lot 2156, Thomas Lüttge, „Vier auf der Mauer“, Berlin, Brandenburg Gate, 1989/2015, estimated at €500-700, sold at €1625
Lot 2159, Thomas Lüttge, „Klar im Geschmack“, Western Berlin, 1983/2016, estimated at €500-700, sold at €1500
Lot 2161, Thomas Sandberg, „Kind in Boizenburg, Deutschland“, 1980, estimated at €800-1000, sold at €3375
Complete lot by lot results can be found here.
