Frank Auerbach Leads Sotheby's $4.58m 'Modern British & Irish Art Evening Auction' in London

A work by Frank Auerbach was the headline sale at Sotheby's 'Modern British & Irish Art Evening Auction' on November 14 in London.

• The sale totaled $4.58m (GBP3.61m), falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 13 works sold totaling $4.58m.
• Estimates totaled: $7.05m (low) and $10.16m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 52% of the original 25 lots announced.

The star lot was: Frank Auerbach, Albert Street (2009), which sold for $943,900, 21% above its $775,200 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 194% above its low estimate. L.S. Lowry, A Man Waiting (1964), sold for $380,600 ($129,200 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 2 works, or 15%, sold above their high estimate.
• 7 works, or 54%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 4 works, or 31%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

8 works were bought-in, including: John Lavery, The Bathing Hour, the Lido, Venice (1912), estimated at $775,200 (low) to $1.03m (high). It has been traded 4 times in the past.

Withdrawn before the sale

4 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Henry Moore, Mother and Child (1953) estimated at $452,200 (low) to $710,600 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.