The results from Phillips’ recent single collector sale from Howard Stein’s Joy of Giving Something Foundation were certainly solid, but perhaps not as overly frothy as expected, given the vintage rarities available from both the 19th and 20th centuries. The mid-priced lots fared the best and there were plenty of positive surprises across the sessions, but there was a bit of softness at the top, with one of the top lot Moholy-Nagy prints failing to sell and a few additional six figure lots also passing. Overall, the Total Sale Proceeds reached almost $6.4M, settling right into the midpoint of the aggregate pre-sale estimate range.
The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
| Summary Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Lots | 228 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale Low Estimate | $5407000 |
| Aggregate Pre Sale High Estimate | $7950000 |
| Total Lots Sold | 191 |
| Total Lots Bought In | 37 |
| Buy In % | 16.23% |
| Total Sale Proceeds | $6386675 |
Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post):
| Detailed Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Low Total Lots | 53 |
| Total Low Lots Sold | 44 |
| Total Low Lots Bought In | 9 |
| Low Buy In % | 16.98% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Low Lots | $408000 |
| Total Proceeds from Low Lots | $389800 |
| Mid Total Lots | 129 |
| Total Mid Lots Sold | 117 |
| Total Mid Lots Bought In | 12 |
| Mid Buy In % | 9.30% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of Mid Lots | $3222000 |
| Total Proceeds from Mid Lots | $3380625 |
| Total High Lots | 46 |
| Total High Lots Sold | 30 |
| Total High Lots Bought In | 16 |
| High Buy In % | 34.78% |
| Aggregate High Estimate of High Lots | $4320000 |
| Total Proceeds from High Lots | $2616250 |
The top lot by High estimate was tied between two lots: lot 8, László Moholy-Nagy, Photogram studies for Goerz (negative and positive), 1925, and lot 10, László Moholy-Nagy, Photogram, 1922, each estimated at $150000-250000. Lot 8 was the top outcome of the sales at $212500, while lot 10 did not sell (images in preview post).
80.10% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range and there were a total of 20 positive surprises in the sales (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate) (images above via Phillips):
Lot 6, Willi Ruge, Berlin Fallschirmspringer from I Photograph Myself During a Parachute Jump, 1931, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $65000 (image in preview post)
Lot 11, Josef Sudek, The Third Courtyard of Prague Castle, 1947, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $61250
Lot 32, Félix Teynard, Karnak (Thèbes), Palais – Salle Hypostyle – Vue Transversale Prise du Point K, 1851-1852, estimated at $30000-50000, sold at $105000
Lot 37, Bill Brandt, Francis Bacon, Primrose Hill, 1963, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $40000
Lot 43, Roy DeCarava, Catsup Bottles, Table and Coat, New York, 1952, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $20000
Lot 58, Bill Brandt, East Sussex Coast, 1959, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $32500
Lot 59, Constantin Brancusi, (Bois) Group Mobile (L’Enfant au monde), 1917, estimated at $40000-60000, sold at $125000
Lot 79, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Self Portrait, 1905, estimated at $20000-30000 sold at $93750
Lot 80, Robert Demachy, Frederick Holland Day, c1900-1920, estimated at $20000-30000 sold at $68750
Lot 102, John Beasley Greene, Dakkeh, Salle de Thot, 1854, estimated at $15000-25000, sold at $56250
Lot 103, James Anderson, View of Rome from the French Academy, Monte Pincio, c1850-1865, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $32500
Lot 104, Captain Linnaeus Tripe, The Causeway Across Vaigai River, Madura, 1858, estimated at $8000-12000, sold at $25000
Lot 123, Benjamin Brecknell Turner, Trees (Pepperharrow Park), c1853, estimated at $25000-35000, sold at $162500
Lot 129, William Bell, Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona, 1872, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $43750
Lot 132, Claude-Joseph Désiré Charnay, Raharla, Minister to the Queen, 1863, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $32500
Lot 135, Julia Margaret Cameron, Sir John Herschel, 1867, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $112500
Lot 141, Dora Maar, Untitled (double-exposed portrait), c1936, estimated at $20000-30000, sold at $100000
Lot 169, W. Eugene Smith, Thelonious Monk Rehearsing in the Loft, 1959, estimated at $7000-9000, sold at $30000
Lot 192, Peter Hujar, Susan Sontag, 1975, estimated at $10000-15000, sold at $30000
Lot 193, Peter Hujar, Cow with Straw in its Mouth, 1978, estimated at $6000-8000, sold at $16250
The complete lot by lot results can be found here (Evening) and here (Day).
