Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun Leads Sotheby's $3.22m 'Master Paintings Part II' Auction in New York
3 min read · 02 Feb 2024
Portrait of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun with Cerise Ribbons attributed to the circle of Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun sold for $393,700. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
A work by ** Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun** was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Master Paintings Part II' auction on February 1 in New York.
- The sale totaled $3.22m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 72 works sold totaling $3.22m.
- Estimates totaled: $4.16m (low) and $6.11m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 53% of the original 136 lots announced.
The star lot was: Circle of Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, Portrait of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun with Cerise Ribbons (Undated), which sold for $393,700, 1800% above its $20,000 low estimate.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 25 works, or 35%, sold above their high estimate.
- 37 works, or 51%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 10 works, or 14%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
62 works were bought-in, including: Attributed to Isaak Soreau, Still Life with Apricots, a Plum and Pomegranate, Hazelnuts, a Housefly, and Wicker Basket of Grapes (Undated), estimated at $80,000 (low) to $120,000 (high). It has been traded twice in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
2 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Paolo Pagani, Jupiter and Mercury (Undated) estimated at $100,000 (low) to $150,000 (high).
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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.