Andy Warhol Leads Christie's $7.08m 'Prints and Multiples' Auction in New York

A work by Andy Warhol was the headline sale at Christie's 'Prints and Multiples' auction on April 16 in New York.

• The sale totaled $7.08m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 160 works sold totaling $7.08m.
• Estimates totaled: $5.36m (low) and $7.71m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 92% of the original 173 lots announced.

The star lot was: Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn): One Print (1967), which sold for $327,600, 31% above its $250,000 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 600% above its low estimate. After Sonia Delaunay, Monumental II (1971), sold for $226,800 ($30,000 low estimate), a record for an editioned tapestry designed by the artist.

• 87 works, or 54%, sold above their high estimate.
• 51 works, or 32%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 22 works, or 14%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

12 works were backed by guarantees, including: Richard Diebenkorn, 41 Etchings Drypoints (1965). It sold for $50,400, 16% below its $60,000 low estimate..

Works that did not sell

13 works were bought-in, including: Henri Matisse, Jazz (1947), estimated at $600,000 (low) to $800,000 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.