Italian Art Dominates Sotheby's and Christie's London Auctions During Frieze Week 2021
In October 2021, during Frieze London, the auctions held by Sotheby's and Christie's in London signaled the resurgence of collectors after a 20-month hiatus, emphasizing Italian art. Sotheby's successfully sold all seven Italian pieces, with six exceeding their estimates, while Christie's sold all eight within their expected ranges. Highlights included Boetti's 'Mappa,' which fetched £2.5 million, and Banksy's 'Love is in the bin.' Sotheby's achieved several records, notably with Flora Yukhnovich's artwork selling for £1.85 million. At Christie's, Cecily Brown's 'There'll be bluebirds' brought in £2.9 million. Italian artworks thrived, including Fontana's 11 cuts at £3.2 million and Manzoni's 'Achrome' at £1.1 million.
Key facts
- Sotheby's and Christie's London auctions coincided with Frieze London in October 2021.
- Italian art dominated both auctions, with all 15 Italian lots sold.
- Sotheby's sold seven Italian lots, six above estimates; Christie's sold eight within estimates.
- Works came from private collections, often acquired directly from artists or early galleries.
- Claudia Dwek of Sotheby's highlighted the international appeal of Italian masters.
- Mariolina Bassetti of Christie's announced 'Thinking Italian' will expand to Hong Kong, New York, Paris.
- Record prices were set for Etel Adnan, Flora Yukhnovich, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Jadé Fadojutimi, Oli Epp, and Hurvin Anderson.
- Banksy's 'Love is in the bin' was the star lot at Sotheby's.
- Cecily Brown's work donated for ClientEarth sold for £2.9 million at Christie's.
- Kazuo Shiraga and Peter Doig lots remained unsold.
Entities
Artists
- Banksy
- Etel Adnan
- Flora Yukhnovich
- Ewa Juszkiewicz
- Miriam Cahn
- Jadé Fadojutimi
- Cinga Samson
- Oli Epp
- Paula Rego
- Hilary Pecis
- Enrico Castellani
- Alighiero Boetti
- Gerhard Richter
- Piero Manzoni
- Kazuo Shiraga
- Fausto Melotti
- Cecily Brown
- Emily Mae Smith
- Shara Hughes
- Hurvin Anderson
- David Hockney
- Peter Doig
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Lucio Fontana
- Domenico Gnoli
- Alberto Burri
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Mario Bucolo
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Christie's
- Frieze London
- Thomas Dane Gallery
- ClientEarth
- Yuga Labs
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- New York
- Paris
- Catania
- Italy