New York's fall print auctions exceed expert expectations: print experts breathe a sigh of relief as the first New York-based, post-Sept. 11 print auctions perform well - news - Statistical Data Included

Art Business News, Jan, 2002 by Barden Prisant

While only one contemporary lot earned top-10 status at Christie's, four claimed the honor at Sotheby's. In fact, the second most expensive lot at the sale, at $170,750, was Jasper Johns's set of four "Seasons." According to Bartow, it sold well "despite their fears that it would not." Other top Contemporary lots were by contemporary sale stalwart, Andy Warhol. (The set of four silkscreens entitled "Andy Mouse" on which Warhol and Keith Haring collaborated, brought $52,500, est.: $25,000 to $35,000). Interestingly, this was the only one of the top 10 lots that outstripped its estimate.

Swann Song

While reviewing the numbers, Swann Galleries deserves an honorable mention at this point. According to Caroline Birenbaum, the firm's director of communications, sales have been faring so well that company officials are knocking on any wood that they can find. The Nov. 5 sale grossed $2.2 million which, according to Todd Weyman, prints and drawings specialist, "is the fifth auction of Old Master though contemporary prints to break the $2 million mark, solidifying our place as one of the preeminent auction houses in the world for prints."

Sixty-eight percent of the works on offer sold, which was slightly less than the percentages posted by Sotheby's and Christie's. Among the 635 lots that did sell were five that broke the $25,000 mark.

Looking Ahead

What does the future hold? Unfortunately, Bartow is not particularly sanguine. She noticed there were fewer dealers bidding this season for stock, which is not a good bellwether. She is also concerned that there will be "very little discretionary selling" in the spring. In the words of a former chairman of Sotheby's, John Marion, the only reason works will come onto the market will be "the three D's--Divorce, Debt and Death." Thus, there may not only be fewer buyers, but fewer works on offer. She does, however, agree with Troester that the print market is better situated at present than the originals. She predicts there will be more buyers out there with $5,000 to spend than $50,000.