Christie’s Matisse Works on Paper Sale Totals $1.84m
3 min read · 18 Apr 2026
Study of a Lily by Henri Matisse sold for $142,600. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Henri Matisse was the headline sale at Christie's 'Henri Matisse : Tracer le lien, œuvres sur papier de la Fondation Pierre et Tana Matisse' auction on April 8-17 in Paris.
- The sale totaled $1.84m (EUR1.56m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 59 works sold totaling $1.84m.
- Estimates totaled: $1.07m (low) and $1.53m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 88% of the original 67 lots announced.
The star lot was: Henri Matisse, Study of a Lily (1941), which sold for $142,600, 394% above its $28,800 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
Acrobatic Dancers: One plate by Henri Matisse sold for $8,253 (795% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 795% above its low estimate. Henri Matisse, Acrobatic Dancers: One plate (1931), sold for $8,253 ($922 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
- 46 works, or 78%, sold above their high estimate.
- 13 works, or 22%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 0 works, or 0%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
8 works were bought-in, including: Henri Matisse, Standing Nude, Tiled Floor (1928), estimated at $46,100 (low) to $69,100 (high). It has been traded once 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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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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