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

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.

• 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Withdrawn before the sale

3 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Fernand Leger, Composition au veston (1934) estimated at $450,000 (low) to $650,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.