Rembrandt Leads Christie's Online $4.72m 'Old Master Prints' Auction

A work by Rembrandt was the headline sale at Christie's Online 'Old Master Prints' auction on March 21.

• The sale totaled $4.72m (GBP3.65m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 108 works sold totaling $4.72m.
• Estimates totaled: $2.68m (low) and $4.1m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 94% of the original 115 lots announced.

The star lot was: Rembrandt, The Angel departing from the Family of Tobias (copperplate and print) (1641), which sold for $570,400, 632% above its $77,900 low estimate. It has been traded 12 times in the past.

The outperformer sold for 715% above its low estimate. Albrecht Altdorfer, Jael and Sisera (1520), sold for $21,200 ($2,597 low estimate).

• 67 works, or 62%, sold above their high estimate.
• 34 works, or 31%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 7 works, or 6%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

7 works were bought-in, including: Albrecht Durer, The Ravisher (1495), estimated at $32,500 (low) to $45,400 (high). It has been traded 4 times 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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.