Christie's Modern American Art Auction Totals $10.92m
3 min read · 17 Apr 2026
Canadian Barn by Georgia O'Keeffe sold for $1.52m. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Georgia O'Keeffe was the headline sale at Christie's 'Modern American Art' auction on April 16 in New York.
- The sale totaled $10.92m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 85 works sold totaling $10.92m.
- Estimates totaled: $10.99m (low) and $16.23m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 79% of the original 107 lots announced.
The star lot was: Georgia O'Keeffe, Canadian Barn (1932), which sold for $1.52m, 204% above its $500,000 low estimate. It has been traded 8 times in the past.
Winter Still Life by Paul Cadmus sold for $152,400 (408% above estimate). Image courtesy of Christie's
The outperformer sold for 408% above its low estimate. Paul Cadmus, Winter Still Life (1970), sold for $152,400 ($30,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
- 39 works, or 46%, sold above their high estimate.
- 32 works, or 38%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 14 works, or 16%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
2 works were backed by guarantees, including: Hale Woodruff, Picking Cotton (1936). It sold for $317,500, 36% below its $500,000 low estimate.. It has been traded 4 times in the past.
Works that did not sell
17 works were bought-in, including: Georgia O'Keeffe, Zinnia (1921), estimated at $700,000 (low) to $1m (high). It has been traded 7 times in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
5 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Charles Burchfield, July (1935), estimated at $150,000 (low) to $250,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
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