Elisabeth Frink Leads Bonhams $427,500 'Prints & Multiples: featuring an Important Collection of Works by Henry Moore' Auction

A work by Elisabeth Frink was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Prints & Multiples: featuring an Important Collection of Works by Henry Moore' auction on July 9.

• The sale totaled $427,500 (GBP314,200), meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 180 works sold totaling $427,500.
• Estimates totaled: $405,500 (low) and $585,200 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 60% of the original 301 lots announced.

The star lot was: Elisabeth Frink, Birds of Prey (1974), which sold for $27,900, 237% above its $8,245 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 812% above its low estimate. Man Ray, La Maine Bleue (1971), sold for $6,269 ($687 low estimate).

• 71 works, or 39%, sold above their high estimate.
• 84 works, or 47%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 25 works, or 14%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

118 works were bought-in, including: David Shrigley, Swan Thing (2023), estimated at $5,497 (low) to $8,245 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

3 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Richard Hambleton, Standing Shadow with Blue Background (2010) estimated at $1,649 (low) to $2,473 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.