Christie's Art Contemporain Auction Totals $4.48m
3 min read · 04 Jun 2026
Sevillian Writing by Jesus Rafael Soto sold for $325,100. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Jesus Rafael Soto was the headline sale at Christie's 'Art Contemporain - vente en ligne, dont des tirages exceptionnels de Nan Goldin' auction on May 22-June 3 in Paris.
- The sale totaled $4.48m (EUR3.85m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 144 works sold totaling $4.48m.
- Estimates totaled: $2.83m (low) and $4.18m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 87% of the original 165 lots announced.
The star lot was: Jesus Rafael Soto, Sevillian Writing (2000), which sold for $325,100, 133% above its $139,300 low estimate. It has not been traded before.
The Striped Eels by After Alexander Calder sold for $81,300 (775% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 775% above its low estimate. After Alexander Calder, The Striped Eels (1971), sold for $81,300 ($9,285 low estimate). It has been traded twice in the past.
- 80 works, or 56%, sold above their high estimate.
- 53 works, or 37%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 11 works, or 8%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
2 works were backed by guarantees, including: Agostino Bonalumi, Black and White (1964). It sold for $51,700, 25% below its $69,600 low estimate.. It has been traded once in the past.
Works that did not sell
21 works were bought-in, including: Andy Warhol, Work Boots (Negative) (1985), estimated at $52,200 (low) to $75,400 (high). It has been traded twice in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
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