Elisabeth Frink Leads Phillips $7.64m 'Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale' in London
3 min read · 07 Mar 2025
Seated Man II by Elisabeth Frink sold for $573,600. Image courtesy of Phillips
A work by Elisabeth Frink was the headline sale at Phillips 'Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale' on March 7 in London.
- The sale totaled $7.64m (GBP5.92m), meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 96 works sold totaling $7.64m.
- Estimates totaled: $7.34m (low) and $10.57m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 79% of the original 121 lots announced.
The star lot was: Elisabeth Frink, Seated Man II (1986), which sold for $573,600, 51% above its $379,300 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The outperformer sold for 980% above its low estimate. William Kentridge, Second-hand Reading (2013), sold for $204,900 ($19,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 37 works, or 39%, sold above their high estimate.
- 37 works, or 39%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 22 works, or 23%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
1 work was backed by a guarantee: A R Penck, Sehnsucht (Longing) (2001). It sold for $180,300, 4% below its $189,700 low estimate. It has been traded 4 times in the past.
Works that did not sell
19 works were bought-in, including: Anish Kapoor, Untitled (2007), estimated at $316,100 (low) to $442,600 (high). It has been traded once in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
6 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Allen Jones, Standing Figure (Hatstand) (1969) estimated at $151,700 (low) to $227,600 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.