London – 20^th Century at Christie’s concluded on 30 June 2017 with a combined total of £194,366,000 / $247,569,125 / €220,484,285. The depth of bidding witnessed in the salerooms highlighted the truly global collector base with registered participation from 56 countries. Max Beckmann’s Hölle der Vögel (Birds’ Hell) was the leading work across the London season, achieving a world auction artist record of £36,005,000 / $45,834,362 / €40,865,674, double the previous record that was established in 2001. The painting continues the Germanic tradition of using allegory together with elements of Classicism and mythology to transcend the time and political situation in which it was created. In this sense it has become a universal symbol of humanity like Pablo Picasso’s Guernica of the same period. Pablo Picasso’s tender portrait of his young lover Marie-Thérèse, Femme écrivant (Marie-Thérèse), achieved the second highest price of the season, selling for £34,885,000 / $44,408,602 / €39,594,474. Vincent van Gogh’s Le moissonneur (d’après Millet) was another highlight, soaring above its estimate to realise £24,245,000 / $30,863,883 / €27,518,074. Following on from the February Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale bidding from Asia was notable with over 20% of works sold to clients in the region. Impressionist and Modern Art achieved a combined total of £168,068,125 / $214,071,732 / €190,595,799. There were strong sell-through rates across 20^th Century at Christie’s, particularly in the evening sales.

The Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale launched 20^th Century at Christie’s, opening with a world auction artist record for Henry Lamb’s Portrait of Edie McNeill (£281,000 / $357,994 / €319,497). Sculptures led the evening sale with Henry Moore’s Family Group, which sold to an Asian collector, after spirited bidding in the saleroom and on the phone, for £3,861,000 / $4,918,914 / €4,389,957. In addition Barbara Hepworth’s Curved Form (Bryher II) was featured in ‘Sculpture in the Square’, an outdoor sculpture garden set within St James’s Square, and achieved £3,301,000 / $4,205,474 / €3,753,237. Further world auction artist records were set for Eileen Agar, Keith Coventry, Nic Fiddian-Green, Robert MacBryde, Cedric Morris, Eduardo Paolozzi, Victor Pasmore and a record in the medium for L. S. Lowry in the Evening and Day sales with a combined total of £26,297,875 / $33,497,392 / €29,888,486.

20TH CENTURY AT CHRISTIE’S SALES OVERVIEW

20^th Century at Christie’s Total: £194,366,000 / $247,569,125 / €220,484,285

Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale: £149,500,000 / $190,313,489 / €169,682,494

Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale: £10,686,000 / $13,678,080 / €12,021,750

Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper: £6,121,500 / $7,835,520 / €6,886,687

Picasso Ceramics Online: £1,122,625 / $1,432,469 / €1,277,547

Impressionist and Modern Art Online: £638,000 / $812,174 / €727,320

Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale: £20,199,500 / $25,734,162 / €22,966,831

Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale: £6,098,375 / $7,763,231 / €6,921,655

*3 works sell for more than £20 million*

*6 works sell for over £5 million / 21 works sell for over £1 million*

*12 world auction artist records*

Eileen Agar, The Bug of Genius, £25,000 / $31,825 / €28,375

Max Beckmann, Hölle der Vögel (Birds’ Hell), £36,005,000 / $45,834,362 / €40,865,674

Keith Coventry, Abbeyfield Estate, £37,500 / $47,738 / €42, 563

Nic Fiddian-Green, Still Water, £209,000 / $266,266 / €237,633

Hannah Höch, Frau und Saturn, £1,085,000 / $1,381,205 / €1,231,475

Henry Lamb, Portrait of Edie McNeill, £281,000 / $357,994 / €319,497

L. S. Lowry, A Station Platform, £269,000 / $342,706 / €305,853 (record in the medium for a work on paper)

Robert MacBryde, Red and Black Still Life, £27,500 / $35,008/ €31,213

Cedric Morris, Poppies, £131,000 / $166,763 / €148, 685

Eduardo Paolozzi, Life Savers, £131,000 / $166,763 / €148,685

Victor Pasmore, Linear Motif in Black and White, £329,000 / $419,146 / €374,073

Georges Vantongerloo, Composition dans le carré avec couleurs jaune-vert-bleu-indigo-orangé, £1,085,000 / $1,381,205 / €1,231,475

For sale insights on the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale from Christie’s Global President and auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen, Jay Vincze, Head of Impressionist & Modern Art London and Giovanna Bertazzoni, Deputy Chairman of Impressionist & Modern Art, please visit the Facebook Live video stream of our post-sale Press Conference. 

For further commentary on the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale please see our online report.

Christie’s summer season of sales continues on 4 July 2017 with Christie’s Classic Week. Please see the full press release here.