Joseph Beuys' Felt Suit Leads Sotheby's $544,100 'The Schellmann Collection' Auction in Paris
3 min read · 17 Oct 2024
Filzanzug (Felt Suit); GIB MIR HONIG ! (GIVE ME HONEY !) by Joseph Beuys sold for $143,200. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
A work by Joseph Beuys was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Joseph Beuys: The Schellmann Collection' auction on October 17 in Paris.
- The sale totaled $544,100 (EUR501,500), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 17 works sold totaling $544,100.
- Estimates totaled: $1.3m (low) and $1.83m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 63% of the original 27 lots announced.
The star lot was: Joseph Beuys, Filzanzug (Felt Suit); GIB MIR HONIG ! (GIVE ME HONEY !) (1970), which sold for $143,200, 116% above its $66,200 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The outperformer sold for 332% above its low estimate. Joseph Beuys, La rivoluzione siamo noi (We Are the Revolution) (1972), sold for $71,600 ($16,600 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 5 works, or 29%, sold above their high estimate.
- 8 works, or 47%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 4 works, or 24%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
10 works were bought-in, including: Joseph Beuys, Badewanne für eine Heldin (Bathtub for a Heroine) (1984), estimated at $275,900 (low) to $386,300 (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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.