Delivering a market-leading performance, up 17% from last year, Christie’s 20th / 21st Century: London evening sale and The Art of the Surreal evening sale realised a combined total of £196,685,600 / $250,380,769 / €229,335,410, selling 87% by lot and 95% by value. The auctions were led by René Magritte’s L’ami intime (The Intimate Friend), from The Gilbert and Lena Kaplan Collection which sold for £33,660,000. The sale series attracted registered bidders from 31 countries, confirming the wide appeal to global collectors of the presentation of 20th century masterpieces showcased alongside cutting-edge contemporary artists. Active buying was witnessed from millennials (10%).
The20th / 21st Century: London evening sale made £137,699,300 and showed strong demand for selected masterpiece lots, many unseen on the market for decades. Francis Bacon’s Landscape near Malabata, Tangier made £19,630,000. David Hockney’s California made £18,710,000 and Lucian Freud’s intimate portrait, Kai, originally unveiled at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1993, achieved £4,638,000. Michael Andrews’ School III: Butterfly Fish and Damsel Fish realised a world auction record for the artist (£3,125,500).
The Art of the Surreal evening sale achieved £58,986,300 selling 88% by lot and 99% by value, up 52% year on year.