Auction: Avedon: Photographies provenant de la Fondation Richard Avedon, November 20, 2010 @Christie's Paris

With Paris Photo now upon us, Christie's has scheduled a landmark single photographer sale to take advantage of the crowds of collectors in Paris for the show. The auction contains a selection of works by Richard Avedon, taken directly from the holdings of the estate and with the purpose of establishing an endowment for the Richard Avedon Foundation. The sale mixes fashion photography, celebrity portraits, and other subjects, with a wide variety of the artist's best known images and portfolios on offer. Overall, there are a total of 65 lots up for sale, with a Total High Estimate of 3395000€. While selling this many images at once will test the depth and strength of the market for Avedon's work, I think there are better than even odds that the sale will perform extremely well.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including 7500€): 6
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 35000€

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 40
Total Mid Estimate: 880000€

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000€): 19
Total High Estimate: 2480000€

The top lot by High estimate is lot 16, Richard Avedon, Dovima with elephants, Evening dress by Dior, Cirque D'Hiver, Paris, August 1955, 1955/1978, at 400000-600000€. (Image at right, top, via Christie's.) The next highest lot is lot 11, Richard Avedon, The Beatles Portfolio, London, England, 8-11-67, 1967/1990, at 250000-350000€. (Image at right, bottom, via Christie's.)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here. The eCatalogue is located here.

Avedon: Photographies provenant de la Fondation Richard Avedon

November 20th

Christie's
9 Avenue Matignon
75008 Paris