Andy Warhol Leads Sotheby's, Online $3.69m 'Prints & Multiples' Auction

A work by Andy Warhol was the headline sale at Sotheby's, Online 'Prints & Multiples' auction on March 20.

• The sale totaled $3.69m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 81 works sold totaling $3.69m.
• Estimates totaled: $2.88m (low) and $4.07m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 72% of the original 112 lots announced.

The star lot was: Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali (1978), which sold for $355,200, 86% above its $190,500 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 400% above its low estimate. M.C. Escher, Circle Limit IV (Heaven and Hell) (1960), sold for $96,900 ($19,000 low estimate).

• 42 works, or 52%, sold above their high estimate.
• 33 works, or 41%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 6 works, or 7%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

29 works were bought-in, including: Andy Warhol, Shoes (1980), estimated at $127,000 (low) to $152,400 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

2 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Stik, Holding Hands (Red, Orange, Yellow, Teal, Blue) (2020) estimated at $5,079 (low) to $7,618 (high).

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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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