The results from Sotheby’s recent various owner Photographs sale were generally solid, and right in line with its aggregate tally from last October. Led by a vintage dressed and naked Sie Kommen diptych by Helmut Newton (which jumped to more than double its high estimate), the sale performed consistently across all price tiers. While the overall Buy-In rate of just over 26% wasn’t hugely impressive, a number of positive surprises helped prop up the numbers.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 152 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $2330500 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $3506500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 112 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 40 |
| Buy In % | 26.32% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $3323000 |
Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 70 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 52 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 18 |
| Low Buy In % | 25.71% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $558500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $434250 |
| Mid Total Lots | 70 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 51 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 19 |
| Mid Buy In % | 27.14% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $1678000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $1503750 |
| Total High Lots | 12 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 8 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 4 |
| High Buy In % | 33.33% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $1270000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $1385000 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 42, Man Ray, Rayograph, 1924, estimated at $250000-350000; it sold for $250000 (image in preview post). The top outcome of the sale was lot 110, Helmut Newton, Sie Kommen (Dressed) and Sie Kommen (Naked), 1981, estimated at $150000-250000; it sold for $670000 (image above, via Sotheby’s).
79.46% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 9 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Sotheby’s):
Lot 22, Désiré Charnay, Selected Images, 1860-1862, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $27500
Lot 54, Robert Frank, Caerau, Wales, 1951/later, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $87500
Lot 70, Angus McBean, Audrey Hepburn, 1950/1951, estimated at $1500-2500, sold at $8750
Lot 83, Garry Winogrand, World’s Fair N.Y.C., 1964, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $81250 (image in preview post)
Lot 90, Michael Dweck, Mermaid, 2005, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $30000
Lot 110, Helmut Newton, Sie Kommen (Dressed) and Sie Kommen (Naked), 1981, estimated at $150000-250000, sold at $670000
Lot 142, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, W, March 2000, #12 (from Cuba Libre), 2000, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $106250
Lot 143, Cindy Sherman, Untitled (Doctor and Nurse Diptych), 1979/before 1995, estimated at $5000-7000, sold at $16250
Lot 148, Guido Argentini, Vacancy, 2007/2015, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $22500
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
$670,000 paid for the Helmut Newton? Wow, that’s a pretty affluent fifteen year old male with money to burn.