Niki de Saint Phalle Leads Artcurial $4.95m 'Selected 20/21' Auction in Paris
3 min read · 21 Oct 2024
L'Arbre-Serpents by Niki de Saint Phalle sold for $697,900. Image courtesy of Artcurial
A work by Niki de Saint Phalle was the headline sale at Artcurial 'Selected 20/21' auction on October 18 in Paris.
- The sale totaled $4.95m (EUR4.56m), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 18 works sold totaling $4.95m.
- Estimates totaled: $8.37m (low) and $12.81m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 55% of the original 33 lots announced.
The star lot was: Niki de Saint Phalle, *L'Arbre-Serpents * (1992), which sold for $697,900, 60% above its $434,200 low estimate. It has not been traded before.
The outperformer sold for 214% above its low estimate. Alina Szapocznikow, *Lampe bouche * (1969), sold for $512,700 ($162,800 low estimate). It has not been traded before.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 9 works, or 50%, sold above their high estimate.
- 9 works, or 50%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 0 works, or 0%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
11 works were bought-in, including: Germaine Richier, *Don Quichotte * (Undated), estimated at $1.95m (low) to $2.71m (high). It has not been traded before.
Withdrawn before the sale
4 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Andre Derain, *Le Port de Collioure * (1905) estimated at $1.52m (low) to $2.71m (high).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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.