Pierre Soulages Leads Sotheby's $22.15m 'Hubert Guerrand-Hermès' Auction in Paris

A work by Pierre Soulages was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Collection Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, Vente du Soir' auction on December 13 in Paris.

• The sale totaled $22.15m, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 43 works sold totaling $22.15m.
• Estimates totaled: $5.14m (low) and $7.54m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 100%, so a white-glove sale.

The star lot was: Pierre Soulages, Peinture 130 x 162 cm, 28 février 1970 | Peinture 130 x 162 cm, 28 Février 1970 (1970), which sold for $3.31m, 400% above its $654,000 low estimate. It has been traded 4 times in the past.

The outperformer sold for 900% above its low estimate. Alexandre-Francois Desportes, Slaying of the stag | Hallali de Cerf (1705), sold for $561,700 ($54,500 low estimate). It has been traded 4 times in the past.

A talking point was: Francois-Xavier Lalanne, Pair of Sangliers topiaires | Paire de Sangliers topiaires (1994), sold for $822,000, 600% above its $109,000 low estimate. Patinated Bronze, Painted Metal Trellis And Stainless Steel And Patinated Metal Bases, 116.0 x 133.0 x 50.0cm. The work has been traded once before.

• 41 works, or 98%, sold above their high estimate.
• 1 works, or 2%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 0 works, or 0%, sold below their low estimate.
• 1 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

0 works were bought-in.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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. 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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.