Charles Bell Leads Sotheby's $7.79m Contemporary Discoveries Auction
3 min read · 01 Mar 2026
Viking Strikes by Charles Bell sold for $358,400. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
A work by Charles Bell was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Contemporary Discoveries' auction on February 18-27 in New York.
- The sale totaled $7.79m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.
Snapshot of the sale
- 283 works sold totaling $7.79m.
- Estimates totaled: $6m (low) and $8.78m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 83% of the original 341 lots announced.
The star lot was: Charles Bell, Viking Strikes (1987), which sold for $358,400, 79% above its $200,000 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.
Masnad by Bryan Hunt sold for $11,500 (1340% above estimate). Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The outperformer sold for 1340% above its low estimate. Bryan Hunt, Masnad (1980), sold for $11,500 ($800 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.
- 142 works, or 50%, sold above their high estimate.
- 74 works, or 26%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 67 works, or 24%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
No sales had a guarantee.
Works that did not sell
52 works were bought-in, including: William Kentridge, Three Figures (2013), estimated at $80,000 (low) to $120,000 (high). It has been traded once in the past.
Withdrawn before the sale
6 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: John Wesley, Wallflower Dagwood (1991), estimated at $40,000 (low) to $60,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
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