Sotheby's Magnum Opus Auction Totals $63m
3 min read · 22 Oct 2026
A Marble Torso of an Emperor, Roman Imperial, Julio-Claudian by Ancient Roman sold for $34.26m. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
A marble bust of a Roman emperor, which had a guarantee, was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Magnum Opus | Evening Auction' on October 21 in New York.
- The sale totaled $63.04m, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.
The eclectic collection ranged from antiquities to Richard Avedon's portrait of Marilyn Monroe.
Snapshot of the sale
- 64 works sold totaling $63.04m.
- Estimates totaled: $32.65m (low) and $47.62m (high), excluding premiums.
- The sell-through rate was 100%, so a white-glove sale.
The star lot was: A Marble Torso of an Emperor, Roman Imperial, Julio-Claudian (Undated), which sold for $34.26m, 328% above its $8m low estimate. The work was backed by a guarantee. It has been traded 3 times in the past.
A Late Hellenistic Gold and Emerald Finger Ring by Ancient Greek sold for $166,400 (732% above estimate). Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The outperformer sold for 732% above its low estimate. Ancient Greek, A Late Hellenistic Gold and Emerald Finger Ring (Undated), sold for $166,400 ($20,000 low estimate). The work was backed by a guarantee. It has been traded 3 times in the past.
- 26 works, or 41%, sold above their high estimate.
- 22 works, or 34%, sold within their low and high estimate.
- 16 works, or 25%, sold below their low estimate.
- 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.
Guaranteed sales
64 works were backed by guarantees, including: Giovanni Antonio Canal, Venice, A View Of The Grand Canal Looking East With Santa Maria Della Salute (Undated). It sold for $6.22m, 3% above its $6m low estimate. It has been traded 11 times in the past.
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Withdrawn before the sale
0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.
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