Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, a black and white landscape photograph by Ansel Adams sold for US$ 31,250 inc. premium during Bonhams photography Auction. Image: Bonhams

PHOTOGRAPHY | ART

Ten amazing photographs sold during the Bonhams Photography auction reaffirm the demand for photography as a major art form.

BY KAZAD

Ansel Adams, ASPENS- Northern New Mexico. Gelatin silver print, mounted on Hi-Art Illustration board, printed between 1963 and 1973. Image: Bonhams

Photographs are valuable works of art. In exhibitions and art fairs, photographs have become important art forms for art collectors. But, perhaps, the best place to know the value of photographs is at the auction.

Photography auctions have grown over the years. From Christie’s to Bonhams, Heritage, Philips, and others, auction houses are presenting exceptional photographs that are making record auction prices. Just recently, Bonhams had a photography auction that attracted collectors from across the globe. This is the second photography auction Bonhams is having this year. Every year, the auction house holds two auctions focused on photography. Photography auction is a major event at the Bonhams Auctions house.  While some of the photographs presented for auction are in the category of art photography, others are

Photography auction is a major event at the Bonhams Auctions house.  While some of the photographs presented are in the category of art photography, others are documentary and fashion photography. The themes range from landscapes to portraiture, architecture, and industrial designs.

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A fact to remember is that photographs are generating a lot of interest among art collectors, who are willing to pay thousands of dollars to have them in their collections.  One important example is a photograph by Ansel Adams that sold for US$ 31,250 inc. premium in April during Bonhams Prints and Multiple Auctions. The landscape photograph titled The Grand Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming was just one of the photographs sold at that auction.

Bonhams photography auctions have featured works by very important photographers, including Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier- Bresson, Robert Mapplethorpe, Julia Margret Cameron, Gustave Le Gray, Diane Arbus, Sugimoto, and Walker Evans.  Others include Andre Kertesz, Bill Brandt, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Peter Beard, Edward Weston, Salgado Weegee, Andreas Gursky, William Henry Fox Talbot, Sugimoto, and more.

This is the first in our series examining photography auctions, and some of the important images sold at different auctions.

10 Stunning Photographs Sold at Bonhams October  Photography Auction.

1. Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. Sold for US$ 47,500 inc. premium US$ 31,250 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print, mounted on Hi-Art Illustration board, printed between 1963 and 1973.
2. Ansel Adams (1902-1984), Aspens, Northern New Mexico. Sold for US$ 25,000 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print, mounted on Hi-Art Illustration board, printed between 1963 and 1973.
3. Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989), Two Men Dancing. Sold for US$ 22,500 inc. premium.   Gelatin silver print, flush-mounted.
4. Bernd and Hilla Becher (1931-2007 and 1934-2015), Chemische Fabrik Wesseling Bei Köln, Germany. Sold for US$ 18,750 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print.
5. Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), Rue Mouffetard, Paris. Sold for US$ 15,000 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print.
6. Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989), Christ. Sold for US$ 10,000 inc. premium.  Gelatin silver print 23 x 19 1/4in.
7. Karl Struss (1886-1981), Chicago River-Winter. Sold for US$ 9,375 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print probably printed 1925.
8. Ansel Adams (1902-1984), At Timber Cove, North Coast, California. Sold for US$ 8,750 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print, printed between 1960 and 1962.
9. Jeanloup Sieff (1933-2000), La Robe Trop Petite, Paris. Sold for US$ 8,750 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print.
10. Karl Struss (1886-1981), The City of Dreams. Sold for US$ 8,125 inc. premium. Gelatin silver print mounted.

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