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Auguste Rodin Leads Christie's $18.35m 'Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale' in New York

3 min read  ·  07 Nov 2024

Baiser, grand modèle, 1889 by Auguste Rodin sold for $3.44m.
Image courtesy of Christie's

Baiser, grand modèle, 1889 by Auguste Rodin sold for $3.44m. Image courtesy of Christie's

A work by Auguste Rodin was the headline sale at Christie's 'Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale' on November 20 in New York.

  • The sale totaled $18.35m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 92 works sold totaling $18.35m.
  • Estimates totaled: $18.62m (low) and $28.32m (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 73% of the original 126 lots announced.

The star lot was: Auguste Rodin, Baiser, grand modèle, 1889 (2010), which sold for $3.44m, 14% above its $3m low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 332% above its low estimate. Emmanuel Mane-Katz, Deux étudiants (1926), sold for $30,200 ($7,000 low estimate). It has been traded twice in the past.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 45 works, or 49%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 39 works, or 42%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 8 works, or 9%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

2 works were backed by guarantees, including: Marc Chagall, Acrobates et musicien au ciel mauve (1954). It sold for $529,200, 76% above its $300,000 low estimate.. It has been traded twice in the past.

Works that did not sell

31 works were bought-in, including: Fernand Leger, Composition aux trois fleurs (1938), estimated at $600,000 (low) to $800,000 (high). It has been traded 3 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

3 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Fernand Leger, Composition au veston (1934) estimated at $450,000 (low) to $650,000 (high).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.