When the top lot Edward Weston shells didn’t find a buyer at Christie’s recent single owner photographs sale, the rest of the sale struggled to fill in the hole. While there were a handful of positive surprises and the overall Buy-In rate came in at a very respectable 13%, it just wasn’t enough to pick up the slack, and the Total Sale Proceeds fell just below the low end of the aggregate pre-sale range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 90 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $1822000 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $2794000 |
| Total Lots Sold | 78 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 12 |
| Buy In % | 13.33% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $1812000 |
Here is the breakdown (using our typical Low, Mid, and High definitions):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 29 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 29 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 0 |
| Low Buy In % | 0.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $168000 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $125125 |
| Mid Total Lots | 50 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 40 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 10 |
| Mid Buy In % | 20.00% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $1296000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $1050625 |
| Total High Lots | 11 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 9 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 2 |
| High Buy In % | 18.18% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $1330000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $636250 |
The top lot by High estimate was lot 144, Edward Weston, Shells 6S, 1927, estimated at $300000-500000; it did not sell. The top outcome of the sale was tied between two lots: lot 188, Helmut Newton, Self Portrait with Wife and Models, Paris, 1981/1988, estimated at $40000-60000, and lot 190, Helmut Newton, Tied-Up Torso, Ramatuelle, 1980/1988, estimated at $50000-70000, both sold at $100000 (images above via Christie’s).
Only 65.38% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 5 positive surprises in the sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Christie’s):
Lot 117, Baron Adolph de Meyer, Nijinsky, L’Après-Midi d’un Faune, 1912, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $50000
Lot 120, František Drtikol, Nude, c1925, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $20000
Lot 146, Anton Bruehl, Stocking Ad, 1930s, estimated at $4000-6000, sold at $22500
Lot 179, Helmut Newton, Rue Abriot, Yves St. Laurent and Nude, Paris, 1975/1988, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $87500
Lot 185, Helmut Newton, Mannequins Quai d’Orsay II, Paris, 1977/1988, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $75000
The complete lot by lot results can be found here.
