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William Degouve de Nuncques Leads Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr $207,300 'Symbolist Sale' in Brussels

3 min read  ·  06 Nov 2024

Vers le Cap Formentor by William Degouve de Nuncques sold for $68,700.
Image courtesy of Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr

Vers le Cap Formentor by William Degouve de Nuncques sold for $68,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr

A work by William Degouve de Nuncques was the headline sale at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr 'Symbolist Sale' on November 7 in Brussels.

  • The sale totaled $207,300 (EUR192,800), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 21 works sold totaling $207,300.
  • Estimates totaled: $517,500 (low) and $768,300 (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 38% of the original 55 lots announced.

The star lot was: William Degouve de Nuncques, Vers le Cap Formentor (1902), which sold for $68,700, 26% above its $54,100 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 866% above its low estimate. Maurice Pirenne, Interior (Undated), sold for $5,229 ($541 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 10 works, or 48%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 11 works, or 52%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 0 works, or 0%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

33 works were bought-in, including: Charles Baudelaire, Buloz in the search of Aurevilly (Undated), estimated at $65,000 (low) to $86,600 (high). It has not been traded before.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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. Estimates, sale prices and totals are converted into US dollars. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.