In a remarkable display of market prowess, Christie’s 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale and The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale have collectively surged by 17% compared to the previous year, amassing an impressive total of £196,685,600 / $250,380,769 / €229,335,410.
These auctions boasted an outstanding success rate, with 87% of lots sold by quantity and 95% by value. The highlight of the evening was the staggering £33,660,000 achieved for René Magritte’s masterpiece, L’ami intime (The Intimate Friend), offered from The Gilbert and Lena Kaplan Collection.
International interest in these auctions was robust, with 72% of buyers hailing from the EMEA region and 24% from the Americas. Christie’s 20/21 sale series attracted bidders from 31 countries, affirming its broad allure among global collectors. Notably, millennials contributed significantly, representing 10% of active buyers.
The Triumph of 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale
The 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale achieved remarkable success, achieving a total of £137,699,300 / $175,291,209 / €160,557,384. This sale reflected a robust demand for carefully curated masterpiece lots, many of which had not been seen on the market for decades.
The auction witnessed fervent bidding for British artists, underscoring the strength of the London market. Francis Bacon’s Landscape near Malabata, Tangier fetched an impressive £19,630,000, while David Hockney’s California, unseen for over 40 years, commanded £18,710,000 during its global auction debut.
Lucian Freud’s intimate portrait, Kai, achieved £4,638,000, and Michael Andrews’ School III: Butterfly Fish and Damsel Fish set a world auction record for the artist at £3,125,500.
Resurgence of Impressionism
Claude Monet’s Matinée sur la Seine, temps net, presented at auction for the first time in 45 years, realised £14,397,500, marking the 150th anniversary of Impressionism. Monet’s Prairie fleurie à Giverny surpassed expectations, selling for £6,290,000, along with Théo van Rysselberghe’s L’île du Levant vue du Cap Bénat, Provence (£2,460,000).
The auctions also witnessed a surge of interest in works by contemporary female artists. Allison Katz’s Snowglobe soared to £277,200, while Jadé Fadojutimi’s The Woven Warped Garden of Ponder achieved £1,552,500, setting new auction records. Claire Tabouret’s Les Debutantes (Pink and Black) closed the event on a high note, fetching £239,400.
London’s Enduring Appeal for European Masters
London remains a focal point for European masterpieces, exemplified by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Zwei Mädchen mit Badewanne (Frau in flacher Wanne und Mädchen mit Fächer), which realised £3,791,000. Alexej von Jawlensky’s Frau mit Fächer (Frau aus Turkestan) fetched £4,759,000, while Hermann Max Pechstein’s Abend in der Düne achieved £2,460,000.
A significant highlight of the evening was the inclusion of four works by Alighiero Boetti from a visionary private collection, recently featured in a retrospective at Christie’s in February. Notable among these were Mettere al mondo il mondo (Bringing the world into the world) (£1,310,500) and (i) Rosso Gilera 60 1232 (ii) Beige Sabbia 583 (£907,200).
The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale: A Centenary Celebration
Now in its 24th year, The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale coincided with the centenary of the Surrealist Manifesto. This year’s event achieved an extraordinary total of £58,986,300 / $75,089,560 / €68,778,026, marking a remarkable 52% increase from the previous year.
René Magritte’s L’ami intime (The Intimate Friend), offered from The Gilbert and Lena Kaplan Collection, dominated the auction, fetching £33,660,000. Other works by Magritte also performed admirably, including Le principe d’Archimède (£1,492,000) and La magie noire (£4,638,000).
Two female Surrealists, Hannah Höch and Meret Oppenheim, set new records with their works. Höch’s 1920 collage Das schöne Mädchen (The Beautiful Girl) fetched £453,600, while Oppenheim’s iconic Tisch mit Vogelfüssen achieved £529,200.
In conclusion, Christie’s London Evening Sales has once again demonstrated the vibrancy and resilience of the art market, setting new benchmarks and reaffirming London’s position as a global hub for art auctions.
As these auctions continue to evolve and innovate, they uphold a legacy of excellence and inspire collectors worldwide.
Images: Christie’s
