Sotheby’s held two sales today that are opposite sides of the same coin. In London, there was the Modern and Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art sale which brought in $5.2 million, just above the low estimate with 71% sold by lot.

In New York the 19th Century European Art sale including the Orientalist Sale, brought in $13.6 million. The top lots were this picture by Leopold Carl Muller and one by Jean-Leon Gerome. Both of those went for prices above the high estimates.