London – Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale realised a total of £5,100,606 / €5,855,496 / $6,181,934 and was led by L.S. Lowry’s Promenade (£227,200). In total, 14 works by the artist were offered throughout the auction with further highlights including Merchant Ship (£119,700), Footbridge at Droylsden (£113,400) and Street in Whitby (£47,880).

Barbara Hepworth’s Three Forms sold for £182,700 while Mother and Child, also by Hepworth, achieved £94,500 against a low estimate of £60,000.

Offered by the family of the artist, a group of works on paper and paintings by Edward Wadsworth were highlighted by Composition 1930 (£44,100) and Landscape, Grand Canary (£21,420).

Three works on paper by David Hockney drew competition: Peter Reading more than doubled its low estimate of £30,00 to sell for £69,300, Cairo realised £32,760 (estimate: £18,000-25,000) and Portrait of Michael Horovitz achieved £32,760. 

Further highlights included:

• Jessica Dismorr’s Portrait of a Woman Seated  achieved £35,280, a world auction record for the artist
• John Cecil Stephenson, Vortex No. 2 (£47,880)
• Adrian Heath’s Painting Black and Pink sold for £144,900 (estimate: £40,000-60,000), a top price for the artist
• Pauline Boty’s Still life with paint brushes realised £55,440 against a low estimate of £25,000
• Frank Bowling, Swan Painting (£40,320) (estimate: £18,000-25,000)
• Ben Nicholson’s July 16-54 (still life in shadow) doubled its low estimate of £30,000 to sell for £60,480 while Nov 59 (landscape with monolith) realised £126,000
• Edmund de Waal’s For Agnes Martin achieved £94,500 (estimate: £35,000-55,000)
• John Nash, Lakeside Path (£47,880)
• William Scott, Bowl with Lid on Blue (£68,040) (estimate: £25,000-35,000)
• Gwen John, Portrait of Auguste Rodin realised £40,320 against a low estimate of £7,000
• Vanessa Bell, Still Life with Fan (£47,880)
• Theodore Major’s Industrial Landscape with Telegraph Poles sold for £30,240 (estimate: £10,000-15,000), a top price for the artist
• Leon Kossoff’s Christchurch, Spitalfields No. 2 achieved £94,500 (estimate: £18,000-25,000)

This is London. Everchanging. Forever Captivating.

This October, Christie’s celebrates ‘This is London’, reflecting the unique energy of the British capital, aligning with the 20th anniversary of Frieze London. London is, and always has been, a city of change, evolution, inclusion, dynamism, tradition and modernity. Christie’s explores the infinite ways artists draw inspiration from the everchanging, yet forever captivating London, and at the heart of this is our 20/21 sale series.