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

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.

• 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Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: David Salle, Tree of Life #22 (2021) estimated at $120,000 (low) to $180,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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