New York, 11 April 2026 - Phillips' Photographs sale in New York realized $5,038,224 (£3,744,711 / €4,297,249), with collectors responding enthusiastically to rare and historically important works. Of the 266 lots offered, 206 found buyers, for a sell-through rate of 77 percent by lot and 82 percent by value. Tina Modotti's Bandolier, Corn, Sickle led the auction, selling for more than six times its estimate, while the sale also set a new world auction record for the Italian photographer Nino Migliori.
Reflecting on the result, Vanessa Hallett, Deputy Chairwoman, Americas and Worldwide Head of Photographs, said that "Saturday's Photographs sale demonstrated, once again, strong demand for rare and historically important works, with collectors responding enthusiastically to photographs of real distinction." She noted that works by Wolfgang Tillmans, Diane Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Catherine Opie "all achieved prices well beyond their presale expectations," while Tina Modotti's Bandolier, Corn, Sickle led the auction, "selling for more than six times its estimate."
Hallett also pointed to the dedicated offering Sebastião Salgado: A Life's Voyage, which "brought focused attention to Salgado's powerful body of work, including Iceberg Between Paulet Island and the South Shetland Islands and the Gold Mine portfolio, both of which ranked among the top ten lots of the sale, reaffirming collectors' engagement with the strength, scope, and lasting impact of his vision."
The leading lots
Tina Modotti's Bandolier, Corn, Sickle (1927) anchored the sale, selling for $645,000 against an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. Wolfgang Tillmans followed with Freischwimmer 123 (2004), which realized $309,600 over an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000, and Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Still #49 (1979) brought $154,800. A cluster of works each achieved $129,000: William Eggleston's Untitled (Memphis) (1971), Bernd and Hilla Becher's Winding towers, (Fördertürme) France, Belgium (1974 to 1980), and Sebastião Salgado's Gold Mine (1986).
Further down the top ten, Irving Penn's Black and White Vogue Cover (Jean Patchett), New York (1950) realized $90,300, and Diane Arbus's A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N. Y. (1968) sold for $77,400. Catherine Opie's Untitled #4 (2003) achieved $70,950, while Salgado's Iceberg Between Paulet Island and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica (2005) closed the leading group at $64,500.
A new world record
The sale set a new world auction record for the Italian photographer Nino Migliori, whose Il Tuffatore (1951) sold for $24,510 against an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000, surpassing the artist's previous record of $18,000, set in 2015.
Top ten lots
| Lot | Artist and work | Estimate | Price achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Tina Modotti, Bandolier, Corn, Sickle, 1927 | $100,000 to $150,000 | $645,000 |
| 80 | Wolfgang Tillmans, Freischwimmer 123, 2004 | $150,000 to $250,000 | $309,600 |
| 64 | Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #49, 1979 | $120,000 to $180,000 | $154,800 |
| 52 | William Eggleston, Untitled (Memphis), 1971 | $100,000 to $150,000 | $129,000 |
| 66 | Bernd and Hilla Becher, Winding towers, (Fördertürme) France, Belgium, 1974 to 1980 | $100,000 to $150,000 | $129,000 |
| 142 | Sebastião Salgado, Gold Mine, 1986 | $100,000 to $150,000 | $129,000 |
| 40 | Irving Penn, Black and White Vogue Cover (Jean Patchett), New York, 1950 | $70,000 to $90,000 | $90,300 |
| 49 | Diane Arbus, A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester, N. Y., 1968 | $40,000 to $60,000 | $77,400 |
| 82 | Catherine Opie, Untitled #4, 2003 | $40,000 to $60,000 | $70,950 |
| 141 | Sebastião Salgado, Iceberg Between Paulet Island and the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, 2005 | $40,000 to $60,000 | $64,500 |
New auction record
| Lot | Artist and work | Estimate | Price achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Nino Migliori, Il Tuffatore, 1951 (new auction record, previous record $18,000 set in 2015) | $10,000 to $15,000 | $24,510 |
The sale arrives as Phillips marks its 230th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1796 by the auctioneer Harry Phillips, the house has long offered a forward-looking approach to sales and collecting, and today holds its principal auctions in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with dedicated expertise across Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels.
Estimates do not include buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium. Exchange rate on 11 April 2026: US$1 = £0.743011 / €0.852863 / HK$7.830382.
(Press Release)
