Iconic Nan Golden Photo Sells for $71K at Leitz Photographica Auction

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A person in a white outfit with a lacy skirt looks over their shoulder on a bustling street. They have dramatic makeup and a blonde updo. Nearby, a person wearing white rides a bicycle. The background features blurred pedestrians and trees.

Leitz Photographica Auction, best known for selling rare cameras for six and seven-figure sums, also sells photographic prints, including recently selling a Nan Goldin photo for 66,000 euros ($71,709).

For the first time, the Leitz Photographica Auction occurred directly in the Leica Gallery Vienna, where all the available prints could be seen in a two-week exhibition ahead of the auction. The exhibition and auction were both committed to the theme of the diversity of human gestures and aptly titled “Gestures.” The collection included pop culture icons, massive human-impacted landscapes, and photographs of impactful news events.

Among the highlights is the famed photographer Nan Goldin’s iconic image, Jimmy Paulette on David’s Bike, which sold for 66,000 euros ($71,709), including the buyer’s premium.

This image also appears on the cover of a new expanded edition of Goldin’s 1993 book, The Other Side, a hugely influential and acclaimed book comprising about 20 years of Goldin’s time spent with drag queens and the drag community.

“The photograph, taken in 1991, depicts Goldin’s close friends Jimmy and David, carefree as they ride through the streets of New York City. Jimmy sits on the rear rack of the bicycle, looking boldly and confidently into Goldin’s camera, as if already sensing that the self-determination of gender and identity will one day no longer be an illusion,” explains Caroline Guschelbaur. “This striking image encapsulates the most significant attributes of Goldin’s work: the intimacy of her portraits, the authenticity of her subjects, and the subtle yet powerful engagement with social and political issues.”

A black and white photo of a person in elegant attire lying on a luxurious, ornate chaise lounge. They are gazing sideways, wearing a dark outfit with layered necklaces, and are set against a richly decorated backdrop.

The available lots ranged from images about a century old to ones captured in just the last few years. The diversity in age was matched by an eclectic mix of styles, perspectives, and subjects.

“Our auction house spcializes in rarities from the entire realm of photography. Anyone interested in vintage cameras, historical camera accessories, and rare photographs is in the right place with us,” says Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction. “The more than one hundred lots of ‘Gestures’ proved just how fascinating and diverse the comparatively young medium of photography is.”

Another highlight from the auction is Alfred Eisenstadt’s Ice Skating Waiter from 1931. The image, captured in the European winter dreamscape of St. Moritz, shows the head waiter of the Grand Hotel St. Moritz, René Breguet, dressed to the nines and skating through the hotel, balancing a tray of champagne and glasses. People say Breguet could jump over chairs in his skates without spilling a single drop. The image was part of a series of Eisenstaedt’s pictures published in LIFE Magazine in 1936 after he emigrated from Germany. The photo sold for 7,800 euros ($8,477).

A man in a tuxedo ice skates on one foot, balancing on a folded chair, with a tray of drinks in one hand. Snow-covered mountains and trees are in the background.

Of the 107 total lots, those that did not sell are available in the After Sale until November 15. Shortly after that, the 45th edition of the famed Leitz Photographica Auction will commence on November 23, where many rare cameras and accessories will be on offer to collectors, including a Leica M prototype expected to sell for up to 700,000 euros ($759,542).

Image credits: Leitz Photographica Auction

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