Auction recap / Phillips
Phillips Realizes $4,864,074 in Irving Penn Solo Auction
The dedicated single-artist sale achieved a 94.3% sell-through rate, led by a $567,600 result for Ginkgo Leaves, New York.
Auction highlights
- Estimate$200–300KSold$567,600
Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York
Estimate$200–300KSold$283,800Mouth (For L’Oréal) (A), New York
Estimate$200–300KSold$245,100Three Poppies 'Arab Chief', New York
Estimate$100–150KSold$206,400Black and White Vogue Cover, New York
Estimate$80–120KSold$193,500- Estimate$60–80KSold$193,500
Miles Davis Hand on Trumpet, New York
Estimate$70–90KSold$180,600Lily 'Imperial Pink', New York
Estimate$70–90KSold$154,800- Estimate$150–250KSold$141,900
Girl Behind Bottle (Jean Patchett), New York
Estimate$70–90KSold$129,000- Estimate$70–90KSold$122,550
- Estimate$50–70KSold$116,100
| Auction highlights | Estimate | Sold price | Estimate track | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginkgo Leaves, New York | $200–300K | $567,600 | ||
| Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York | $200–300K | $283,800 | ||
| Mouth (For L’Oréal) (A), New York | $200–300K | $245,100 | ||
| Three Poppies 'Arab Chief', New York | $100–150K | $206,400 | ||
| Black and White Vogue Cover, New York | $80–120K | $193,500 | ||
| Bee (A), New York | $60–80K | $193,500 | ||
| Miles Davis Hand on Trumpet, New York | $70–90K | $180,600 | ||
| Lily 'Imperial Pink', New York | $70–90K | $154,800 | ||
| Cigarette No. 37, New York | $150–250K | $141,900 | ||
| Girl Behind Bottle (Jean Patchett), New York | $70–90K | $129,000 | ||
| Poppy 'Burgundy', New York | $70–90K | $122,550 | ||
| Chimney Sweep (B), London | $50–70K | $116,100 | ||
Estimate track marks the pre-sale range; the tick marks the sold price.
Contextual data provided by Pricing Culture Analytics; this is not an exhaustive list. Pricing Culture Analytics organizes publicly available auction data to analyze and produce insights.
Phillips concluded its dedicated sale, Visual Language: The Art of Irving Penn, realizing a total of $4,864,074. The single-artist[1] auction demonstrated strong demand for the photographer's iconic imagery, with 66 of 70 lots finding buyers to achieve a 94.3% sell-through rate[1]. According to the official results published by Phillips, the auction focused entirely on the photographic legacy of Irving Penn.
Irving Penn's work spans fashion, still life, and portraiture, characterized by its formal elegance and meticulous print quality. The sale brought together several of his most recognizable compositions, from commercial assignments to personal botanical studies, showcasing his mastery of platinum-palladium and silver gelatin printing techniques.
Auction highlights
Sale file- Ginkgo Leaves, New York | estimate $200,000 to $300,000 | sold for $567,600[2][2] (above the high estimate)
- Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), New York | estimate $200,000 to $300,000 | sold for $283,800[3][3] (within estimate)
- Three Poppies 'Arab Chief', New York | estimate $100,000 to $150,000[4] | sold for $206,400 (above the high estimate)[4]
- Bee (A), New York | estimate $60,000 to $80,000[5] | sold for $193,500 (above the high estimate)[5]
This auction represents Phillips's #17 sale of 48 concluded this year by realized value. Within the broader art category, which has realized $1,181,188,913 across all tracked[1] houses this year with an average sell-through rate of 85.8%, Christie's leads[1] the category. To date, Phillips has realized $261,969,503 across its sold lots[1], achieving an overall sell-through rate of 86.2%. Across all of its[1] sales departments, the house's year-to-date total stands at $511,686,267.[1]
Sources
- 01
- 02
Phillips
Ginkgo Leaves, New York - 03
- 04
- 05
Phillips
Bee (A), New York