Jean Francois Millet Leads Christie's $1.92m 'European Art' Auction in New York
3 min read · 09 Oct 2024
Paysanne veillant son enfant by Jean Francois Millet sold for $302,400. Image courtesy of Christie's
A work by Jean Francois Millet was the headline sale at Christie's 'European Art' auction on October 9 in New York.
- The sale totaled $1.92m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 46 works sold totaling $1.92m.
- Estimates totaled: $2.87m (low) and $4.32m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 62% of the original 74 lots announced.
The star lot was: Jean Francois Millet, Paysanne veillant son enfant (1858), which sold for $302,400, 101% above its $150,000 low estimate. It has been traded 5 times in the past.
The outperformer sold for 278% above its low estimate. Stanislaus von Chlebowski, Zeybek à Brousse (Bursa) (1880), sold for $75,600 ($20,000 low estimate). It has been traded 3 times in the past.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 11 works, or 24%, sold above their high estimate.
- 21 works, or 46%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 14 works, or 30%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
28 works were bought-in, including: Joaquin Sorolla, Esperando. Paneau decorativo. (1898), estimated at $400,000 (low) to $600,000 (high). It has been traded 4 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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.