Bonhams Discovery | Pictures Auction Totals $71,600
3 min read · 05 Aug 2026
A group of musicians, design for a spandrel by After Niccolo dell' Abbate sold for $4,827. Image courtesy of Bonhams
A work by After Niccolo dell' Abbate was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Discovery | Pictures' auction on July 27-August 4 in London.
- The sale totaled $71,600 (GBP53,200), meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 102 works sold totaling $71,600.
- Estimates totaled: $48,200 (low) and $73,500 (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 99% of the original 103 lots announced.
The star lot was: After Niccolo dell' Abbate, A group of musicians, design for a spandrel (Undated), which sold for $4,827, 503% above its $799 low estimate. It has been traded twice in the past.
A musical instrument sale by Harry Youngs sold for $1,638 (2358% above estimate). Image courtesy of Bonhams
The outperformer sold for 2358% above its low estimate. Harry Youngs, A musical instrument sale (1948), sold for $1,638 ($67 low estimate).
- 41 works, or 40%, sold above their high estimate.
- 23 works, or 23%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 38 works, or 37%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
0 works were bought-in.
Withdrawn before the sale
1 work was withdrawn before the sale: Various Artists, Diana Viscountess Crosbie; Mrs Damer; Mr Garrick as Kitely; Mr Garrick as Hamlet; Countess of Derby; Consolation de l'Absence; An Irish Union; High Life below stairs (Undated), estimated at $133 (low) to $266 (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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
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