Sotheby’s and Christie’s Summer Auctions: Calm Surface, Strong Sales Across London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong
Sotheby’s and Christie’s wrapped up their summer auctions, achieving impressive sales of £156.2 million and £153.6 million, respectively, marking their highest figures since 2018 and 2017. The auctions took place simultaneously across London, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong through video links. Notable highlights from Sotheby’s included Lucian Freud’s portrait of David Hockney, which sold for £14.1 million, and David Hockney’s 'Gladioli with Two Oranges' at £4.2 million, along with Banksy’s 'Girl with Balloon' at £1.7 million. Magdalene Odundo's 'Untitled' achieved a record price of £300,000. Christie’s London auction featured Bridget Riley’s 'Zing 2' at £2.7 million and Giacometti’s 'Homme qui chavire' at £13.7 million, while René Magritte’s 'La Vengeance' fetched €14.55 million in Paris. Both auction houses reported robust online engagement.
Key facts
- Sotheby's summer auctions totalled £156.2 million, best since 2018.
- Christie's summer auctions totalled £153.6 million (£178.3 million euros), best since 2017.
- Lucian Freud's portrait of David Hockney sold for £14.1 million (with premium) at Sotheby's.
- Banksy's 'Girl with Balloon' sold for £1.7 million online at Sotheby's.
- Magdalene Odundo set an artist record with 'Untitled' at £300,000 at Sotheby's.
- Bridget Riley's 'Zing 2' sold for £2.7 million at Christie's London.
- Magritte's 'La Vengeance' achieved €14.55 million (with premium) at Christie's Paris, a European record.
- In-room bidders returned in London and Paris for both auction houses.
Entities
Artists
- Lucian Freud
- David Hockney
- Banksy
- Magdalene Odundo
- Bridget Riley
- René Magritte
- Alberto Giacometti
- Pierre Soulages
- Frank Auerbach
- Peter Lanyon
- Peter Doig
- Laurence Stephen Lowry
- Winston Churchill
- Damien Hirst
- Fernand Léger
- Pablo Picasso
- Emil Nolde
- Cy Twombly
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Jean Dubuffet
- Lucio Fontana
- Andy Warhol
- Jeff Koons
- Mark Bradford
- Edgar Degas
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Paul Cézanne
- Rembrandt Bugatti
- Salvatore Scarpitta
- Henri Matisse
- Stanley Whitney
- Salman Toor
- Elizabeth Peyton
- Yayoi Kusama
- Isamu Noguchi
- Alexander Calder
- Piero Manzoni
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Keith Haring
- George Condo
- Marc Chagall
- James Ensor
- Vincent van Gogh
- Egon Schiele
- Henry Moore
- Christo
- Germaine Richier
- Kazuo Shiraga
- Josef Albers
- Hans Hartung
- Nicolas de Staël
- Willi Baumeister
- Frank Stella
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Christie's
- New York Charitable Family Trust
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Hong Kong
- China