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Franz A Bischoff Leads Bonhams $1.58m 'California & Western Art' Auction in Los Angeles

3 min read  ·  07 Aug 2024

Roses by Franz A Bischoff sold for $445,000.
Image courtesy of Bonhams

Roses by Franz A Bischoff sold for $445,000. Image courtesy of Bonhams

A work by Franz A Bischoff was the headline sale at Bonhams 'California & Western Art' auction on August 6 in Los Angeles.

  • The sale totaled $1.58m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 59 works sold totaling $1.58m.
  • Estimates totaled: $1.57m (low) and $2.39m (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 65% of the original 91 lots announced.

The star lot was: Franz A Bischoff, Roses (Undated), which sold for $445,000, 48% above its $300,000 low estimate.

The outperformer sold for 463% above its low estimate. Chiura Obata, Evening Glow - Bay Bridge (1945), sold for $28,200 ($5,000 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 22 works, or 37%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 27 works, or 46%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 10 works, or 17%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

32 works were bought-in, including: Franz A Bischoff, Palm Springs Canyon, Calif (Undated), estimated at $60,000 (low) to $80,000 (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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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