Lot 62 · First Open | Post-War & Contemporary Art, featuring Drawings from the Collection of the Late Janie C. Lee, Sold for the Benefit of the Menil Drawing Institute
Improv Study
Ernie Barnes · acrylic wash on paper
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- Estimate
- $20,000–$30,000 hammer
- Result
- upcoming — 27 February 2026
- Performance
- Sale
- Christie's — First Open | Post-War & Contemporary Art, featuring Drawings from the Collection of the Late Janie C. Lee, Sold for the Benefit of the Menil Drawing Institute, New York · 27 February 2026
- Dimensions
- x 19 in. (64.8 x 48.3 cm.)
- Record ID
- TB-2026-3096833
- Record
- first seen 28 Jul 2026 · updated 28 Jul 2026 · source ↗
- Cite this record
- TB-2026-3096833 — https://thebasis.art/cite/TB-2026-3096833
Ernie Barnes, Improv Study. Christie's, 27 Feb 2026, lot 62. estimate $20,000–$30,000, unsold at time of record. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-3096833.
Sell probability TheBasis model · trained on recorded passes
94% chance this lot finds a buyer · market base rate 72%
Of the 92,681 held-out lots the model scored about 91%, 91% sold.
Modeled from the house, the sale type, the artist's record and the estimate's position — not a view on the work. Subscribers see each factor and its sample. See plans. Model data through 2025-09-11.
Cite this record permanent · resolvable · quotable
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Ernie Barnes, Improv Study. Christie's, 27 Feb 2026, lot 62. estimate $20,000–$30,000, unsold at time of record. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-3096833.
From the same sale First Open | Post-War & Contemporary Art, featuring Drawings from the Collection of the Late Janie C. Lee, Sold for the Benefit of the Menil Drawing Institute · Feb 2026
| Lot | Artist | Estimate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under Discussion | JENNIFER ALLORA (B. 1974) & GUILLERMO CALZADILLA (B. 1971) | $20,000–$30,000 | |
| Knife | Wayne Thiebaud | $40,000–$60,000 | |
| Untitled | Ernst Yohji Jaeger | $25,000–$35,000 | upcoming |
| Seated Nude on Striped Couch | Joan Brown | $8,000–$12,000 | upcoming |
| Intérieur à la grande baie, la main de l'artiste au premier plan à gauche | Henri Matisse | $50,000–$70,000 | upcoming |
| Rose IV, Palm Springs | Ellsworth Kelly | $50,000–$70,000 | upcoming |
Comparable results nearest sold works, same medium & price band
| Artist | Lot | vs. estimate | Result USD, incl. premium | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernie Barnes | Study Sketch for Pool Hall | $25,200 | Sotheby's, Oct 2022 | |
| Ernie Barnes | Sketch for Song On One Note 30 x 22 3/4 in. (76.2 x 57.8 cm. | Bonhams, Aug 2023 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Untitled (Boston Patriots), circa 1962 | Bonhams, Apr 2023 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Study Sketch for Dance Couple | Phillips, Nov 2022 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Untitled, circa 1964 | Bonhams, Feb 2026 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Study for Improv | Heritage Auctions, May 2022 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Study for Pause Café 29 7/8 x 22 1/4 in. (75.9 x 56.5 cm.) | Bonhams, Aug 2022 | ||
| Ernie Barnes | Destination Unknown | Bonhams, Dec 2024 |
The closest sold results by price, artist, and medium — the appraiser's comp set, generated from the corpus. All figures converted to USD at current reference rates.