Auction Results: Photographie, May 26, 2011 @Villa Grisebach

The results of the recent Photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin were generally quite positive. With a the Buy-In rate just over 20% , a solid number of upside surprises, and Total Sale Proceeds that came in near the top of the estimate range, the sale performed well by most measures.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 190
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 492200€
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 673500€
Total Lots Sold: 151
Total Lots Bought In: 39
Buy In %: 20.53%
Total Sale Proceeds: 643489€

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 176
Low Sold: 139
Low Bought In: 37
Buy In %: 21.02%
Total Low Estimate: 442500€
Total Low Sold: 379969€

Mid Total Lots: 14
Mid Sold: 12
Mid Bought In: 2
Buy In %: 14.29%
Total Mid Estimate: 231000€
Total Mid Sold: 263520€

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0€
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 1409, Oskar Schlemmer/Kurt Bryner, Zwei Alben mit Photographien der familie Schlemmer und Freunden, 1937-1940, at 25000-30000€; it sold for 29280€. The top outcome of the sale was lot 1434, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Forderturme, Schuylkill County, PA, USA, 9-teilige Photoarbeit, 1974-1978, at 70760€ (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)

95.36% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate. There were a total of 12 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 1310, Ilse Bing, Self Portrait, 1931/1996, at 7320€
Lot 1316, Bill Brandt, Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1958/Later, at 3416€
Lot 1325, Robert Doisneau, Le manege de Monsieur Barre, Place de la Mairie, Paris, 1925/Later, 10370€
Lot 1428, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Frankfurt am Main: Hute im Waldstadion), 1929 at 3172€
Lot 1429, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Start zum Segelfliegen), 1933-1945, at 3660€
Lot 1430, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Frankfurt am Main, Blick auf den Burgersteig von oben), 1933-1945, at 3904€ (image at right, bottom, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1432, Yva, Vornehmer hut aus blauer Seide mit doppelter, weisser Krempe und schwal aus gleichem Material. Modell: Gurau-Friedrich, 1932, at 3172€
Lot 1433, Yva, Den Schuh schmuckt die schnalle, den Fuss der...Strumpf, 1934-1938, at 3294€
Lot 1434, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Forderturme, Schuylkill County, PA, USA, 9-teilige Photoarbeit, 1974-1978, at 70760€ (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1462, Ken Probst, Tattooed Twins, San Diego, 1989/2001, at 4880€
Lot 1468, Thomas Ruff, Interieur 1D (Tegernsee) aus der Serie "Interieurs", 1982, at 3050€ (image at right, middle, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1476, Michael Schmidt, o.T., 1998, at 1708€

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin