Sotheby’s various owner Photographs sale feels lacking in major standouts this season. While there are some unexpected secondary images worth a look, it’s a sale centered on its solid midsection rather than its top end. Overall, there are a total of 223 lots available, with a Total High Estimate of $5722500.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including $10000) | 94 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | $737500 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between $10000 and $50000) | 112 |
| Total Mid Estimate | $2475000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above $50000) | 17 |
| Total High Estimate | $2510000 |
The top lot by High estimate is tied between two lots: lot 144, Robert Mapplethorpe, Man in Polyester Suit, 1980, (image above, via Sotheby’s), and lot 165, Diane Arbus, National Junior Interstate Dance Champions of 1963, Yonkers, NY, 1963/1967, both estimated at $250000-350000.
Here’s the complete list of photographers with five or more lots in the sales, along with the number of lots on offer:
| Multiple Lots For Sale | |
|---|---|
| Ansel Adams | 18 |
| Edward Weston | 9 |
| Sally Mann | 8 |
| Brassaï | 6 |
| Harry Callahan | 6 |
| Henri Cartier-Bresson | 6 |
| Berenice Abbott | 5 |
| André Kertész | 5 |
| Irving Penn | 5 |
| Robert Polidori | 5 |
Other lots of interest include (images above, via Sotheby’s):
Lot 8, Robert Adams, Colorado, 1973, estimated at $12000-18000
Lot 29, Tina Modotti, Carpesinos Reading El Machete, 1929, estimated at $200000-300000
Lot 45, Brett Weston, Sewer Pipes, 1929, estimated at $20000-30000
Lot 149, Bill Brandt, London (Standing Nude), 1940s, estimated at $30000-50000
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
