Gertrude Abercrombie Leads Wright $682,500 'Elevated: Art Via Chicago' Auction

A work by Gertrude Abercrombie was the headline sale at Wright 'Elevated: Art Via Chicago' auction on February 23 in Chicago.

• The sale totaled $682,500, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 57 works sold totaling $682,500.
• Estimates totaled: $343,400 (low) and $497,600 (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 90% of the original 63 lots announced.

The star lot was: Gertrude Abercrombie, Sunset (1954), which sold for $163,800, 125% above its $70,000 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 500% above its low estimate. Margo Hoff, Tea Party (1950), sold for $12,600 ($2,000 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 28 works, or 49%, sold above their high estimate.
• 18 works, or 32%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 11 works, or 19%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

6 works were bought-in, including: Hebru Brantley, BLK LVS MATR (2015), estimated at $20,000 (low) to $30,000 (high). It has not been traded before.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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