Auction Results: Photographs, April 5, 2013 @Christie’s New York

Christie’s various owner Photographs sale blew past its pre-sale aggregate High estimate, bringing in an extra $700K in proceeds for good measure. To complete the broad-based success, the overall Buy-In rate was low (just over 15%) and there were lots of positive surprises.

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

Summary Statistics
Total Lots 204
Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate $4303000
Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate $6512000
Total Lots Sold 172
Total Lots Bought In 32
Buy In % 15.69%
Total Sale Proceeds $7245375

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):

Detailed Breakdown
Low Total Lots 43
Total Low Lots Sold 35
Total Low Lots Bought In 8
Low Buy In % 18.60%
Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots $333000
Total Proceeds from Low Lots $343250
Mid Total Lots 140
Total Mid Lots Sold 119
Total Mid Lots Bought In 21
Mid Buy In % 15.00%
Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots $3169000
Total Proceeds from Mid Lots $3094625
Total High Lots 21
Total High Lots Sold 18
Total High Lots Bought In 3
High Buy In % 14.29%
Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots $3010000
Total Proceeds from High Lots $3807500

The top lot by High estimate was lot 251, Robert Frank, Trolley-New Orleans, 1955, estimated at $400000-600000; it was also the top outcome of the sale at $663750

93.02% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of 18 surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 104, Hiroshi Sugimoto, UA Playhouse, Great Neck, NY, 1978, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $62500

Lot 105, Lewis Baltz, Corona del Mar, 1971, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $30000

Lot 113, Peter Beard, Orphaned Cheetahs, Kenya, from The End of the Game, 1968/later, estimated at $40000-60000, sold at $183750

Lot 114, Irving Penn, Ginko Leaves, New York, 1990/1992, estimated at $80000-120000, sold at $363750 (image at right, middle, via Christie’s)

Lot 115, Ansel Adams, Aspens, Northern New Mexico, 1958/1958-1962, estimated at $100000-150000, sold at $423750 (image at right, top, via Christie’s)

Lot 126, William Klein, Atom Bomb Sky, New York, 1955/later, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $20000

Lot 133, Steve McCurry, Afghan Girl, 1984/later, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $17500

Lot 136, Erwin Blumenfeld, Dictator, Paris, 1937/1940s, estimated at $30000-50000, sold at $111750

Lot 157, Minor White, Two Barns, Dansville, New York, 1955, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $25000

Lot 165, Edward Weston, Mexico (Tina on the Azotea), 1924, estimated at $100000-150000, sold at $363750

Lot 175, Francesca Woodman, Untitled, Rome, 1977-1978, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $117750 (image at right, bottom, via Christie’s)

Lot 176, Francesca Woodman, Untitled, Providence, RI, 1975-1978, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $105750

Lot 191, Helmut Newton, Charlotte Rampling, Portrait, Arles, France, 1973/1982, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $68750

Lot 209, Edward Weston, Charis, 1934, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $27500

Lot 229, W. Tom Young, Bill with Camera, New Orleans, 1987, estimated at $3000-5000, sold at $12500

Lot 247, William Eggleston, Untitled (Memphis), 1971/1999, estimated at $80000-120000, sold at $279750

Lot 268, Nan Goldin, Cookie at Tin Pan Alley, NYC, 1983, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $22500

Lot 303, Ansel Adams, Ice on Ellery Lake, Sierra Nevada, California, 1959/1979, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $25000

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Send this article to a friend

Read more about: Ansel Adams, Francesca Woodman, Irving Penn, Christie's

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recent Articles

Dietmar Busse, My Life as a Flower @CLAMP

Dietmar Busse, My Life as a Flower @CLAMP

JTF (just the facts): A total of 21 color photographs, generally framed in light wood and matted, and hung against white walls in the back gallery space. Twenty of the ... Read on.

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter

This field is required.