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Viola Frey Leads Bonhams $1.61m 'Post-War & Contemporary Art X Made in California' Auction in Los Angeles

3 min read  ·  27 Sep 2024

Reclining Woman, Hand Outstretched by Viola Frey sold for $114,800.
Image courtesy of Bonhams

Reclining Woman, Hand Outstretched by Viola Frey sold for $114,800. Image courtesy of Bonhams

A work by Viola Frey was the headline sale at Bonhams 'Post-War & Contemporary Art X Made in California' auction on September 25 in Los Angeles.

  • The sale totaled $1.61m, falling short of its pre-sale low estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

  • 78 works sold totaling $1.61m.
  • Estimates totaled: $2.71m (low) and $4.04m (high), excluding premiums.
  • The sell-through rate was 66% of the original 118 lots announced.

The star lot was: Viola Frey, Reclining Woman, Hand Outstretched (2002), which sold for $114,800, 63% above its $70,000 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 386% above its low estimate. Gregory Kondos, Half Dome Yosemite (2011), sold for $48,600 ($10,000 low estimate). It has been traded once in the past.

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

Breakdown of results against auction house estimates that are disclosed

  • 28 works, or 36%, sold above their high estimate.
  • 45 works, or 58%, sold within their low and high estimate.
  • 5 works, or 6%, sold below their low estimate.
  • 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

No sales had a guarantee.

Works that did not sell

39 works were bought-in, including: Ed Ruscha, Various Plastics (1979), estimated at $400,000 (low) to $600,000 (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Withdrawn before the sale

0 works were withdrawn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Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.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