It can’t be a good thing when an artist’s work sells for more than 2. 5 times the high estimate and the result comes off as a bit of a disappointment. Following last week’s surging $400k sale for a Murillo, today’s work at Sotheby’s made just shy of half that amount. Works of art are hardly commensurate in quality, value or importance but the Sotheby’s lot was not considered less desirable that what sold at Phillips. Tomorrow’s sale at at Christie’s will show whether the artist can go 2 for 3.