Tyler Hobbs Leads Sotheby's, Online $1.11m 'Digital Art Day Auction'

A work by Tyler Hobbs was the headline sale at Sotheby's, Online 'Digital Art Day Auction' on December 17.

• The sale totaled $1.11m, exceeding the pre-sale high estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 34 works sold totaling $1.11m.
• Estimates totaled: $700,500 (low) and $1.11m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 89% of the original 38 lots announced.

The star lot was: Tyler Hobbs, Fidenza #526 (2021), which sold for $480,000, 60% above its $300,000 low estimate. It has not been traded before.

The outperformer sold for 1220% above its low estimate. Pxlq, Dynamic Slices #44 (2021), sold for $6,600 ($500 low estimate). It has been traded 5 times in the past.

• 22 works, or 65%, sold above their high estimate.
• 6 works, or 18%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 6 works, or 18%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

3 works were bought-in, including: Shaun8149, BOB #33 (2024), estimated at $20,000 (low) to $25,000 (high).

Withdrawn before the sale

1 work was withdrawn before the sale: David Salle, A Well-Leafed Tree (2021) estimated at $120,000 (low) to $180,000 (high).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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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.