Graham Sutherland Leads Sotheby's $2.67m 'Modern British & Irish Art' Auction in London

A work by Graham Sutherland was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Modern British & Irish Art' auction on June 26 in London.

• The sale totaled $2.67m (GBP1.94m), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 51 works sold totaling $2.67m.
• Estimates totaled: $2.84m (low) and $4.28m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 67% of the original 76 lots announced.

The star lot was: Graham Sutherland, Vine Pergola (1947), which sold for $226,500, 66% above its $135,700 low estimate. It has been traded 4 times in the past.

The outperformer sold for 309% above its low estimate. Eileen Agar, The Sleep Walkers (1979), sold for $66,200 ($16,200 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 24 works, or 47%, sold above their high estimate.
• 21 works, or 41%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 6 works, or 12%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

25 works were bought-in, including: L.S. Lowry, Yachts at Lytham St Anne's (1951), estimated at $244,200 (low) to $339,100 (high). It has been traded 4 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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