Sophie Taeuber-Arp Leads Christie's $7m 'Collection Lise et Roland Funck-Brentano' Auction in Paris

A work by Sophie Taeuber-Arp, which had a guarantee, was the headline sale at Christie's 'Un plaidoyer pour la modernité - Collection Lise et Roland Funck-Brentano' auction on April 8 in Paris.

• The sale totaled $7.05m (EUR6.46m), exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 41 works sold totaling $7.05m.
• Estimates totaled: $4.77m (low) and $6.7m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 95% of the original 43 lots announced.

The star lot was: Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Relief rond en quatre hauteurs, éléments courbes, coupant(s), cassant(s) (1936), which sold for $3.34m, 62% above its $2.06m low estimate. The sale set a new auction record for the artist, a 125% rise. The work was backed by a guarantee and has been traded 5 times in the past.

The outperformer sold for 365% above its low estimate. After Fernand Leger, Jaune II (Undated), sold for $15,100 ($3,251 low estimate).

• 30 works, or 73%, sold above their high estimate.
• 8 works, or 20%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 3 works, or 7%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

1 work was backed by a guarantee: Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Relief rond en quatre hauteurs, éléments courbes, coupant(s), cassant(s) (1936). It sold for $3.34m, 62% above its $2.06m low estimate. It has been traded 5 times in the past.

Works that did not sell

2 works were bought-in, including: Pierre Paulin, Paire de fauteuils 'Élysée' (1972), estimated at $65,000 (low) to $86,700 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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