Diane Arbus Leads Phillips $2.61m 'Photographs' Auction in London
3 min read · 22 Nov 2024
Identical twins, Roselle, N.J., 1967 by Diane Arbus sold for $416,600. Image courtesy of Phillips
A work by Diane Arbus was the headline sale at Phillips 'Photographs' auction on November 21 in London.
- The sale totaled $2.61m (GBP2.07m), meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 95 works sold totaling $2.61m.
- Estimates totaled: $2.12m (low) and $3.15m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 85% of the original 112 lots announced.
The star lot was: Diane Arbus, Identical twins, Roselle, N.J., 1967 (1967), which sold for $416,600, 19% below its $518,600 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
The outperformer sold for 435% above its low estimate. Steven Klein, Madonna, New York City (2016), sold for $20,800 ($3,890 low estimate).
Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed
- 54 works, or 57%, sold above their high estimate.
- 33 works, or 35%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 8 works, or 8%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
16 works were bought-in, including: Robert Mapplethorpe, Calla Lily (1985), estimated at $45,400 (low) to $71,300 (high). It has not been traded before.
Withdrawn before the sale
1 work was withdrawn before the sale: David LaChapelle, Last Supper from Jesus is My Homeboy (2003) estimated at $64,800 (low) to $90,800 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.