2025-04-03
Trouble with the sale of a photograph by German artist Nan Goldin. The reason turns out to be surprising, as it is... too low a price for the work. Usually there are other reasons for the withdrawal of a work from sale, these include problems with establishing the legal status of the work, poor state of preservation or authenticity.
All over the world, paintings, photographs and sculptures sold at auction houses reach record prices. This time was different. The auction of a self-portrait by German artist Nan Goldwin, announced for 11 December at Blumqvist in Oslo, has been cancelled! Although many people claimed that the reason was the poor condition of the photograph, the reason was actually that the amount set for the work was too low (estimate: €4,200 - €5,300). Such opinions arose among the staff of the Marian Goodman Gallery, among others. The artist's self-portrait taken on a train is one of her best-known works. In 1999, a group of collectors became the owners of the photograph and have owned the work until now.
In 2002, another photograph by Nan Goldin sold at Christie's auction house for €22,705, which is much higher than the 1990s self-portrait. In 2002, another version of the self-portrait on a train did not sell at Sobethy's in New York, with the estimate for the work ranging between €10,000 and €15,000. Perhaps another auction of the German artist's work will bring her more luck?
Sources: The Artnewspaper