Helmut Newton’s Sie Kommen, Paris (Dressed and Naked) diptych was the top lot at Phillips recent various owner Photographs auction, and its sale at $1820000 was not only a positive surprise (given its pre-sale estimate of $600000-800000), it also effectively pulled the sale up on its back and carried it home. The rest of the auction generally performed to expectations, with a Buy-In rate at just under 25%. When the dust settled, the Total Sale Proceeds tallied up at just over $5M, a notch above the top end of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 195 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $3465500 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $4950500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 148 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 47 |
| Buy In % | 24.10% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $5033250 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 63 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 52 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 11 |
| Low Buy In % | 17.46% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $446500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $389625 |
| Mid Total Lots | 114 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 84 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 30 |
| Mid Buy In % | 26.32% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $2259000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $1793625 |
| Total High Lots | 18 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 12 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 6 |
| High Buy In % | 33.33% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $2245000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $2850000 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 85, Helmut Newton, Sie Kommen, Paris (Dressed and Naked), 1981, estimated at $600000-800000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $1820000 (image above via Phillips).
89.86% 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 Phillips):
Lot 61, Sally Mann, The New Mothers, 1989, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $62500
Lot 67, Sally Mann, Untitled from Deep South, 1998, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $32500
Lot 80, Robert Mapplethorpe, Skull + Crossbones, 1983, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $27500
Lot 85, Helmut Newton, Sie Kommen, Paris (Dressed and Naked), 1981, estimated at $600000-800000, sold at $1820000
Lot 116, Richard Misrach, Stonehenge #1, 1976, estimated at $9000-12000, sold at $26250
Lot 131, Diane Arbus, Two Ladies Walking in Central Park, NYC, 1962, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $25000
Lot 136, Charles Moore, Dogs Used by Birmingham, Alabama, Cops to Quell Negro Race Riots, 1963, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $62500
Lot 141, Robert Frank, US 285 New Mexico, 1956/1960s, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $187500
Lot 191, Emil Otto Hoppé, Germany Brunner Mond Chemical Workers, 1928, estimated at $3000-5000, sold at $10625
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
