London Summer Sales: Tamara de Lempicka and Christo Lead Sotheby's and Phillips Auctions

The summer art auctions in London yielded varied outcomes, with Sotheby's and Phillips conducting evening sales on June 24 and 26, 2025. Sotheby's Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction garnered £62.4 million, surpassing the estimate of £55-83 million, and saw 83% of its lots sold. The standout piece was Tamara de Lempicka's La Belle Rafaëla (1927), which fetched £7.475 million. Notably, works by female artists made up 30% of the total sales, including Jenny Saville's Juncture (1994) at £5.4 million and her Mirror (2011-12), which set a record at £2.1 million. Meanwhile, Phillips' auction on June 26 raised £12.8 million, achieving a 91% sell-through rate, featuring highlights like Basquiat's MP (1984) at £4.888 million and Martha Jungwirth's Ohne Titel (1987) at £317,500. Old Master Week begins on July 1.