Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale Raises £11.3 Million
Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale achieved £11.3M, with strong international bidding and standout auction results.
Christie’s Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale concluded with a total of £11,312,620 / $14,672,468 / €13,428,080, achieving an impressive sell-through rate of 96% by lot and 98% by value. Notably, 96% of the lots sold at or above their high estimate.
The auction attracted a diverse range of international buyers, with participation spanning 56% from EMEA, 35% from the Americas, and 9% from APAC.
Frank Auerbach’s Nude on Bed III led the sale, which achieved £1,492,000, followed closely by Lynn Chadwick’s Sitting Couple on Bench, realising £1,371,000.
Frank Auerbach’s Nude on Bed III, Credit: Christie's
Sir William Nicholson’s The Lustre Bowl sparked intense competition among bidders, selling for £1,189,500, far exceeding its low estimate of £120,000 and marking the second-highest auction price for the artist. Similarly, William Scott’s Bowl and Frying Basket saw enthusiastic bidding in the room, eventually selling for £365,400 after nearly five minutes of competition.
British sculpture also saw strong demand, as evidenced by Barry Flanagan’s Six Foot Leaping Hare on Steel Pyramid, which sold for £693,000, and Dame Barbara Hepworth’s Maquette (Variation on a Theme), which achieved £277,200 against its estimated range of £120,000-£180,000.
Sir Winston Churchill’s The Bay of Èze, one of his finest portrayals of the French Riviera, drew multiple bidders vying against each other before selling for £945,000. Irish artists performed well, with Roderic O’Conor’s Paysage, Pont Aven fetching £378,000 and Sir John Lavery’s The Hall, Argyll House - A Summer Day realising £157,500.
Among the other standout lots, Antony Gormley’s MEME CXXX sold for £94,500 following competitive bidding across multiple platforms. Ben Nicholson’s c. 1925 (Jamaïque) achieved £163,800, while Bridget Riley’s Turquoise, red, blue, yellow with black and white attracted strong interest and realised £182,700, surpassing its low estimate of £80,000.
Additionally, three rare works by L.S. Lowry delivered solid results: May Day reached £945,000, Old Church and Steps achieved £403,200, and Old Houses, Wick realised £478,800, further cementing the artist’s enduring appeal among collectors.
