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Stanley Whitney Leads Bonhams $2.45m 'Post-War & Contemporary Art' Auction in New York

3 min read  ·  21 Nov 2024

Stay Song 27 by Stanley Whitney sold for $203,700.
Image courtesy of Bonhams

Stay Song 27 by Stanley Whitney sold for $203,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams

A work by Stanley Whitney was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Post-War & Contemporary Art' auction on November 21 in New York.

  • The sale totaled $2.45m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 49 works sold totaling $2.45m.
  • Estimates totaled: $3.68m (low) and $5.51m (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 67% of the original 73 lots announced.

The star lot was: Stanley Whitney, Stay Song 27 (2018), which sold for $203,700, 13% above its $180,000 low estimate. It has been traded twice in the past.

The outperformer sold for 437% above its low estimate. Lynne Drexler, Untitled (1959), sold for $26,900 ($5,000 low estimate). It has been traded twice in the past.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 18 works, or 37%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 23 works, or 47%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 8 works, or 16%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

23 works were bought-in, including: Wayne Thiebaud, Dog and Shadow (2007), estimated at $300,000 (low) to $500,000 (high). It has been traded once in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: David Salle, Tree of Life #22 (2021) estimated at $120,000 (low) to $180,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.