The photography in Christie’s recent Post-War and Contemporary Art sales in London generally performed in line with expectations, with the total sale proceeds for photography falling solidly within the estimate range.
The summary statistics for the photography lots in the two sales are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
Total Lots: 22
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: £839000
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: £1143000
Total Lots Sold: 16
Total Lots Bought In: 6
Buy In %: 27.27%
Total Sale Proceeds: £971050
Here is the detailed breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):
Low Total Lots: 0
Low Sold: NA
Low Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total Low Estimate: £0
Total Low Sold: NA
Mid Total Lots: 12
Mid Sold: 9
Mid Bought In: 3
Buy In %: 25.00%
Total Mid Estimate: £193000
Total Mid Sold: £153750
High Total Lots: 10
High Sold: 7
High Bought In: 3
Buy In %: 13.33%
Total High Estimate: £950000
Total High Sold: £817300
87.50% of the photo lots that sold had proceeds in or above their estimate. There was only one surprise in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate): lot 162, Louise Lawler, Musée de Nantes, 1987, at £30000. (Image at right, via Christie’s.).
The top lot by High estimate was lot 50, John Baldessari, Former Site of Duck Pond Bar, 3003 National City Blvd, National City, Calif, 1996, at £300000-400000; it sold for £265250. The top photo outcome of the two sales was lot 4, Gilbert & George, Cherry Blossom no. 9, 1974, at £325250. (Image at right, top, via Christie’s.)
