Henry Moore Leads Christie's $6.89m 'Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale' in London
3 min read · 18 Oct 2024
Seated Figure on Square Steps by Henry Moore sold for $229,000. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Henry Moore was the headline sale at Christie's 'Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale' on October 17 in London.
- The sale totaled $6.89m (GBP5.31m), meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 141 works sold totaling $6.89m.
- Estimates totaled: $5.53m (low) and $8.25m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 85% of the original 166 lots announced.
The star lot was: Henry Moore, Seated Figure on Square Steps (1958), which sold for $229,000, 117% above its $105,200 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The outperformer sold for 1641% above its low estimate. Christopher Wood, St Ives (1926), sold for $114,500 ($6,574 low estimate). It has been traded twice in the past.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 78 works, or 55%, sold above their high estimate.
- 52 works, or 37%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 11 works, or 8%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
25 works were bought-in, including: L.S. Lowry, Tramp approaching the Clyde (1946), estimated at $157,800 (low) to $236,700 (high). It has been traded 5 times 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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.