ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

London June 2022 Auctions: Christie's and Sotheby's Results

market-auction · 2026-04-27

In June 2022, the auctions held in London by Christie's and Sotheby's shifted their emphasis towards investment, with maximum estimates capped at £2 million. Christie's "20/21 London to Paris" event achieved a total of £203 million, highlighted by Jeff Koons' "Balloon Monkey (Magenta)," which was sold for £8.6 million to Jens Faurschou, with the proceeds benefiting Ukraine. Yves Klein's "Anthropométrie de l'époque bleue" garnered £23.5 million, while Barbara Hepworth's sculpture reached a record £4.8 million. In Paris, a painting by Pierre Soulages sold for €1.7 million. Sotheby's included Francis Bacon's "Study for Portrait of Lucian Freud," which fetched £37.5 million, contributing to total sales of £149.2 million from participants across 40 countries.

Key facts

  • Christie's London-Paris sale totaled £203 million.
  • Jeff Koons' 'Balloon Monkey (Magenta)' sold for £8.6 million to Jens Faurschou, supporting Ukraine aid.
  • Yves Klein's 'Anthropométrie de l'époque bleue (ANT 124)' sold for £23.5 million.
  • Barbara Hepworth set a new auction record at £4.8 million.
  • Three Monets and a Chagall bought by single anonymous bidder for £60 million.
  • Magritte's 'Souvenir de voyage' sold for £13.8 million, above £7 million estimate.
  • Sotheby's Francis Bacon 'Study for Portrait of Lucian Freud' sold for £37.5 million.
  • Sotheby's total sales were £149.2 million.

Entities

Artists

  • Jeff Koons
  • Yves Klein
  • Alberto Burri
  • Barbara Hepworth
  • Claude Monet
  • René Magritte
  • Marc Chagall
  • Ernie Barnes
  • Francis Bacon
  • Sigmar Polke
  • Cecily Brown
  • Edgar Degas
  • Paul Delvaux
  • Henry Moore
  • Pierre Soulages
  • Nicolas de Stael
  • Jean Hélion
  • Serge Poliakoff
  • Arnaldo Pomodoro
  • Fausto Melotti
  • Francesco Lo Savio
  • John Constable
  • Magdalene Odundo
  • Flora Yukhnovich
  • Pauline Boty
  • Frank Auerbach
  • David Hockney
  • Banksy
  • Chris Levine
  • Michel Majerus
  • Simone Leigh
  • Anna Weyant
  • Gerhard Richter
  • Alberto Giacometti
  • Lucio Fontana
  • Andy Warhol
  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
  • August Strindberg
  • Pierre-Auguste Renoir
  • Edward Burra
  • Hurvin Anderson
  • James Tissot
  • Damien Hirst
  • David Bowie
  • Queen Elizabeth II

Institutions

  • Christie's
  • Sotheby's
  • Pinchuk family
  • Jens Faurschou Foundation
  • Artribune

Locations

  • London
  • Paris
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Ukraine
  • Bond Street
  • St James's Square

Sources