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Elliott Erwitt's Paris Jump Leads Bonhams $248,400 'Elliott Erwitt A Life in Photographs' Auction

3 min read  ·  14 Sep 2024

'Paris' (Umbrella Jump), 1989 by Elliott Erwitt sold for $30,700.
Image courtesy of Bonhams

'Paris' (Umbrella Jump), 1989 by Elliott Erwitt sold for $30,700. Image courtesy of Bonhams

A print of Elliott Erwitt's Paris (Umbrella Jump) was the star lot at Bonhams 'Elliott Erwitt A Life in Photographs' auction on September 13.

  • The sale totaled $248,400, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 66 works sold totaling $248,400.
  • Estimates totaled: $232,200 (low) and $353,300 (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 78% of the original 85 lots announced.

The star lot was: Elliott Erwitt, 'Paris' (Umbrella Jump), 1989 (Undated), which sold for $30,700, 338% above its $7,000 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 338% above its low estimate. Elliott Erwitt, 'Paris' (Umbrella Jump), 1989 (Undated), sold for $30,700 ($7,000 low estimate).

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 15 works, or 23%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 13 works, or 20%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 38 works, or 58%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

19 works were bought-in, including: Elliott Erwitt, 'Texas, USA' (Motel Room), 1962 (Undated), estimated at $4,000 (low) to $6,000 (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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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