David Boyd Leads Bonhams $32,000 'Australian and International Art' Auction

A work by David Boyd was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Australian and International Art' auction on May 15.

• The sale totaled $32,000, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 21 works sold totaling $32,000.
• Estimates totaled: $105,900 (low) and $162,000 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 33% of the original 64 lots announced.

The star lot was: David Boyd, Children Playing (1972), which sold for $5,719, 13% below its $6,592 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 70% above its low estimate. Sir William Dobell, (Study of Figures) (1943), sold for $899 ($527 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 1 works, or 5%, sold above their high estimate.
• 7 works, or 33%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 13 works, or 62%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

40 works were bought-in, including: Bill Henson, Untitled (1997), estimated at $10,500 (low) to $13,200 (high). It has been traded once 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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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