The results from the Photography sale at Lempertz in Cologne last week were generally uneventful. A T. Lux Feininger image of a Bauhaus band secured the top spot in the sale, and a handful of lower priced positive surprises added to the tally. But an overall Buy-In rate over 42% softened the numbers, leading to Total Sale Proceeds of roughly €220K, below the aggregate pre-sale high estimate.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 119 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | NA |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | €308500 |
| Total Lots Sold | 69 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 50 |
| Buy In % | 42.02% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | €221450 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 116 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 67 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 49 |
| Low Buy In % | 42.24% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | €283500 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | €205825 |
| Mid Total Lots | 3 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 2 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 1 |
| Mid Buy In % | 33.33% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | €25000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | €15625 |
| 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 lot 531, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Mexico, 1934/later, estimated at €7000-9000; it sold at €6875, but it was no the top outcome of the sale. That honor went to lot 508, T. Lux Feininger, Mitglieder der Bauhaus-Kapelle mit Oskar Schlemmer, Dessau, c1928, estimated at €5000-6000, sold at €13750 (image above via Lempertz).
81.16% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range, and there were a total of 6 positive surprises in the sales (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above, via Lempertz):
Lot 506, Guglielmo (Wilhelm) Plüschow, Untitled, c1900, estimated at €1200-1500, sold at €6500
Lot 507, Wilhelm von Gloeden, Untitled, c1895, estimated at €1200-1500, sold at €4250
Lot 508, T. Lux Feininger, Mitglieder der Bauhaus-Kapelle mit Oskar Schlemmer, Dessau, c1928, estimated at €5000-6000, sold at €13750
Lot 512, Anonymous, Untitled (Bauhaus Dessau), 1928, estimated at €2000-2500, sold at €8125
Lot 513, Herbert List, Schatten der Säulen des Poseidontempels, Kap Sounion, 1937, estimated at €1200-1500, sold at €6500
Lot 537, Lev Borodulin, Parade, Moscow, 1956/later, estimated at €1200-1500, sold at €3125
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
