Bonhams California & Western Art Auction Totals $2.14m

A work by Bob Ross was the headline sale at Bonhams 'California & Western Art' auction on November 11 in Los Angeles.

• The sale totaled $2.14m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 89 works sold totaling $2.14m.
• Estimates totaled: $1.41m (low) and $2.15m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 80% of the original 111 lots announced.

The star lot was: Bob Ross, Reflections of Calm (1993), which sold for $333,500, 733% above its $40,000 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 733% above its low estimate. Bob Ross, Reflections of Calm (1993), sold for $333,500 ($40,000 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 41 works, or 46%, sold above their high estimate.
• 40 works, or 45%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 8 works, or 9%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

21 works were bought-in, including: E Irving Couse, The Chant (1917), estimated at $200,000 (low) to $300,000 (high). It has been traded 5 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: William Wendt, Oaks Amongst the Hills (Undated), estimated at $25,000 (low) to $35,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.