Christie's Art Impressionniste & Moderne Auction Totals $3.39m
3 min read · 04 Jun 2026
Bather Reclining by the Water by Hippolyte Petitjean sold for $280,800. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Hippolyte Petitjean was the headline sale at Christie's 'Art Impressionniste & Moderne' auction on May 20-June 3 in Paris.
- The sale totaled $3.39m (EUR2.91m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 72 works sold totaling $3.39m.
- Estimates totaled: $1.86m (low) and $2.72m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 84% of the original 86 lots announced.
The star lot was: Hippolyte Petitjean, Bather Reclining by the Water (1917), which sold for $280,800, 864% above its $29,100 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The Lovers' Garden by Raymond Peynet sold for $9,606 (1078% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 1078% above its low estimate. Raymond Peynet, The Lovers' Garden (1943), sold for $9,606 ($815 low estimate). It has not been traded before.
- 45 works, or 62%, sold above their high estimate.
- 26 works, or 36%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 1 works, or 1%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
12 works were bought-in, including: Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Masaida the Sudanese, Bambara (Undated), estimated at $93,100 (low) to $139,700 (high). It has not been traded before.
Withdrawn before the sale
2 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Hans Arp, Object on the Threshold, 1959 (1959), estimated at $46,600 (low) to $69,800 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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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