Christie's London has concluded a series of three evening auctions, achieving a combined total of £197.4 million. This figure represents a significant 52% increase compared to the equivalent sales from the previous year, signaling strong confidence in the high-end art market.
The marathon event, which lasted nearly four hours, saw robust bidding and a high sell-through rate of 96% by lot. The sales highlighted a strong demand for works fresh to the market and established masterpieces, with several artist records being broken throughout the evening.
Key Takeaways
- Christie's London's three evening sales totaled £197.4 million, a 52% year-over-year increase.
- A Henry Moore sculpture, "King and Queen," sold for £26.3 million, setting a new auction record for the artist.
- The Art of the Surreal sale was a standout success, achieving nearly £43 million and setting new records for Dorothea Tanning and Toyen.
- Single-owner collections, like that of Roger and Josette Vanthournout, proved to be a major driver of the evening's total sales.
Strong Performance in 20th and 21st Century Art
The first event of the evening, the 20th and 21st Century sale, set a positive tone, bringing in a total of £114 million with fees. While many works sold within their estimated ranges, several lots sparked intense bidding wars, driving prices well beyond expectations.
The highlight of the entire auction series was the sale of Henry Moore’s monumental sculpture, "King and Queen." After a prolonged bidding battle, the 1952-53 bronze sold for an impressive £26.3 million, shattering its pre-sale estimate of £10 million to £15 million. The sale prompted applause from the audience and established a new world auction record for the British sculptor.
"The result that it achieved was the right result. It was a masterpiece, and we will not see another sculpture of that type for the foreseeable future—certainly not a King and Queen," said Katharine Arnold, Christie’s vice chairman of 20th and 21st Century sales.
This particular cast was the last from the series to remain in private hands, with all others held in prominent institutional collections, including the Tate.
Other Notable Results
The sale also saw strong results for other artists. Sonia Delaunay’s vibrant 1946 painting, "Rhythme couleur," sold for £1.8 million, exceeding its high estimate. A contemporary piece by Rose Wylie, "Tube Girl" (2016), also performed exceptionally well, fetching £152,400, nearly double its high estimate of £70,000.
Keith Gill, vice chairman of 20th and 21st Century sales, noted the careful curation of the auction. "We are very careful to curate our sales to be resonating with today's audience," he explained, referencing the connection between the Wylie sale and a major exhibition of her work at London's Royal Academy of Arts.
Auction by the Numbers
- Total Sales: £197.4 million
- Sell-Through Rate (by lot): 96%
- Top Lot: Henry Moore's "King and Queen" at £26.3 million
- New Artist Records: 3 (Henry Moore, Dorothea Tanning, Toyen)
However, not all lots met with the same enthusiasm. The piece with the highest estimate, Wassily Kandinsky’s "Le rond rouge," sold for £12.5 million, at the lower end of its expected range. Additionally, several works were withdrawn just before the auction began, including paintings by Bridget Riley and Lucian Freud, which together carried a combined low estimate of £10.5 million.
Surrealism Continues to Captivate Collectors
The evening's second auction, The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, celebrated its 25th anniversary with exceptional results. The sale brought in nearly £43 million, landing at the high end of its pre-sale estimate and demonstrating the enduring appeal of the Surrealist movement.
The auction began with strong momentum as Joan Miró’s "Peinture" (1949) hammered at £3.9 million, more than doubling its low estimate. Pablo Picasso’s 1929 work, "Figure," also soared past expectations, selling for £2.6 million against a high estimate of £800,000.
The Appeal of Fresh-to-Market Works
Industry experts often point to provenance and market freshness as key drivers of value. Works that have been held in private collections for decades and have not been publicly offered for sale often attract more aggressive bidding. This was evident in the sale of Dorothea Tanning's "Children's Games," which had been in the same collection for over 40 years.
New Records for Female Surrealists
A significant moment came with the sale of Dorothea Tanning's 1942 painting, "Children’s Games." After nearly ten minutes of competitive bidding, the small but powerful work sold for £4.6 million, far surpassing its £2 million high estimate and setting a new auction record for the artist.
Another record was set for the artist Toyen, whose 1946 painting "Le devenir de la liberté" sold for £3.7 million. These results underscore a growing market recognition for the contributions of female artists to the Surrealist movement.
The top lot of the surrealism sale was René Magritte’s "Les grâces naturelles," which achieved a final price of £8.5 million.
The Power of a Private Collection
The evening concluded with a single-owner sale titled "Modern Visionaries: The Roger and Josette Vanthournout Collection." The Belgian couple had spent six decades assembling their collection. This sale alone contributed £40.3 million to the night's total.
The leading work from the collection was Pablo Picasso’s "Nu debout et femmes assises" (1939), which sold for £7 million, well above its £3 million to £5 million estimate. Another strong performer was Jacques Lipchitz’s sculpture "Jeune fille à la tresse," which sold for £2 million, tripling its high estimate.
After the sales, Christie's executives emphasized the importance of high-quality, fresh material in driving market confidence.
"The standout performers of the night were the works that were fresh to market. People are really pursuing quality," Arnold stated. "In a world that remains uncertain, quality is what prevails."
The success of the Vanthournout collection and the record-breaking prices for key masterpieces confirmed that despite global uncertainties, collectors are willing to invest heavily in exceptional works of art.