Anthony Gormley Leads Christie's $4.14m 'Mougins Museum' Sale in London
3 min read · 08 Dec 2023
REFLECTION II by Anthony Gormley sold for $917,100. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Anthony Gormley was the headline sale at Christie's 'Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I' auction on December 7 in London.
- The sale totaled $4.14m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 30 works sold totaling $4.14m.
- Estimates totaled: $4.39m (low) and $6.53m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 70% of the original 43 lots announced.
The star lot was: Anthony Gormley, REFLECTION II (2008), which sold for $917,100, 85% above its $495,000 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The outperformer sold for 375% above its low estimate. Jean Cocteau, Hermès (Mercure) (1958), sold for $11,900 ($2,475 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
A talking point was Elisabeth Frink, Midas Head (1989), sold for $87,000, 125% above its $37,000 low estimate. The work has been traded twice in the past.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 13 works, or 43%, sold above their high estimate.
- 15 works, or 50%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 2 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
12 works were bought-in, including: M. Antonine, A MONUMENTAL ROMAN MARBLE PORTRAIT BUST OF THE EMPEROR LUCIUS VERUS (Undated), estimated at $618,800 (low) to $990,000 (high). It has been traded 8 times in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale (1960) estimated at $49,500 (low) to $74,300 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.