Auction: The Feminine Ideal: An Important Private Collection of Photographs, April 7, 2011 @Christie's

Christie's opens its spring Photographs season with a single owner collection of photographs of women. The sale brings together an edited mix of mid range fashion images, portraits and nudes. Overall, there are a total of 79 photographs on offer, with a total High estimate of $881500.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000): 59
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): $346500

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000): 18

Total Mid Estimate: $415000

Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000): 2

Total High Estimate: $120000

The top lot by High estimate is tied between two lots: lot 36, Philippe Halsman, Marilyn Jumping, 1950, (image at right, top, via Christie's) and lot 72, Irving Penn, Balenciaga Mantle Coat (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Paris, 1950/1988, both at $40000-60000.

Here's the complete list of photographers represented by three or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Norman Parkinson (6)
Irving Penn (5)
Tomio Seike (5)
Jeanloup Sieff (5)
Lillian Bassman (4)
Erwin Blumenfeld (4)
Louise Dahl-Wolfe (4)
Stephane Graff (4)
Brett Weston (3)
Kurt Markus (3)

(Lot 11, Irving Penn, Woman with Umbrella (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York, 1950/1984, at $30000-50000, at right, bottom, and lot 72, William Klein, Dorothy + feathered hat + coffee, Rome, 1962, at $7000-9000, at right, middle, both via Christie's.)

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

The Feminine Ideal: An Important Private Collection of Photographs

April 7th

Christie's

20 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10020