London Auction Houses Report Strong Art Market Growth in Early 2026

In March 2026, London's modern and contemporary art auctions demonstrated significant market growth. Evening sales at Sotheby's and Christie's totaled approximately 288.2 million pounds, marking a nearly 50% increase from the previous year. Sotheby's achieved a 100% sell-through rate for its evening sale, described as the first multi-provenance white-glove sale in London by department head Alex Branczik. Notable sales included Francis Bacon's 1972 self-portrait for 16 million pounds and Leon Kossoff's painting 'Children's Swimming Pool, Saturday Morning, Eleven O'Clock, August' for 5.2 million pounds, far exceeding estimates. Christie's evening sales reached 157.2 million pounds, featuring Henry Moore's bronze sculpture 'King and Queen' which sold for 22.5 million pounds, setting a world auction record for the artist. Combined sales for both auction houses during the week approached 400 million pounds, representing over 70% growth compared to the previous year with a 92% sell-through rate. These results continue the positive trend observed in New York auctions from November.