Christie's Paris Auctions Set New Records for Yves Klein and Jannis Kounellis
On October 23, 2025, Christie's Paris held auctions during Art Basel Paris, achieving a total of €71.9 million over two sessions. The sale titled 'Moderne(s), une collection particulière européenne' generated €12.9 million, with an impressive 91% of items sold. The highlight was Paul Signac's 'La Passerelle Debilly' (1903), which fetched €4.2 million, marking a new record for the artist in France. Max Ernst's 'Frutto di una lunga esperienza' achieved €3.3 million, setting a record for French auctions. The 'Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian' sale reached €59 million, an increase from €50.9 million in October 2024. Yves Klein's 'California, (IKB 71)' (1961) sold for €18.4 million, establishing a new record for him. Renato Pennisi commended the Thinking Italian section for its strong market interest.
Key facts
- Christie's Paris auctions on October 23, 2025, totaled €71.9 million.
- Moderne(s) sale: €12.9 million, 91% sold.
- Paul Signac's 'La Passerelle Debilly' sold for €4.2 million, a new artist record in France.
- Max Ernst's 'Frutto di una lunga esperienza' sold for €3.3 million, nearly triple estimate, French auction record.
- Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian sale: €59 million, up from €50.9 million in October 2024.
- Yves Klein's 'California, (IKB 71)' sold for €18.4 million, new French auction record.
- Jannis Kounellis's 'Sans titre' (1959) sold for €1,792,400, new world auction record.
- Arnaldo Pomodoro's 'Sfera con perforazione' sold for €533,400, more than double low estimate.
- Alighiero Boetti's 'Ammazzare il tempo' (thirty tapestries) sold for €1,333,500.
- Mario Schifano's 'Grande quadro equestre italiano' sold for €508,000 against €50,000-200,000 estimate.
- Gino De Dominicis's 'Senza titolo' (1997-1998) sold for over €100,000.
- Boetti and Paladino tapestry (1989-1991) sold for €254,000.
- Renato Pennisi commented on solid market for Italian artists abroad.
Entities
Artists
- Paul Signac
- Max Ernst
- Domenico Gnoli
- Nicolas de Staël
- Maurice de Vlaminck
- Arnaldo Pomodoro
- Alighiero Boetti
- Yves Klein
- Lucio Fontana
- Jannis Kounellis
- Mario Schifano
- Gino De Dominicis
- Mimmo Paladino
Institutions
- Christie's
- Art Basel Paris
- MoMA
- Tate
- Centre Pompidou
- GNAM (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna)
- NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti)
- Artribune
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Avenue Matignon
- Switzerland
- United States