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Sotheby's London Evening Sale: Records for Kandinsky and Miró, but Many Lots Unsold

market-auction · 2026-05-05

On June 21, 2017, Sotheby's held an evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in London, achieving a total of £149 million, with participation from buyers across 37 countries (20% from Asia, 20% from the USA). This auction marked a historic moment as it was the first in London to feature three pieces that each sold for over £20 million, establishing new records for artists Vasily Kandinsky and Joan Miró, with Helena Newman as the auctioneer. Miró's "Femme et oiseaux" fetched £21.7 million, while Kandinsky's "Murnau – Landschaft mit grünem Haus" sold for £18.5 million, and "Bild mit weissen Linien" reached £29.2 million. Giacometti's "Grande Figure" went for £15.8 million. Additionally, records were set for Théo van Rysselberghe and Paul Klee, although several works by Miró, Cézanne, and Picasso remained unsold. The auction was also broadcast live on Facebook.

Key facts

  • Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale in London on June 21, 2017, achieved £149 million total.
  • Buyers from 37 nations: 20% Asia, 20% USA, rest Europe and rest of world.
  • First London auction with three works over £20 million each.
  • Record for Vasily Kandinsky: 'Murnau – Landschaft mit grünem Haus' sold for £18.5 million (£20.9m with premium).
  • Record for Joan Miró: 'Femme et oiseaux' sold for £21.7 million (£24.5m with premium).
  • Kandinsky's 'Bild mit weissen Linien' sold for £29.2 million (£33m with premium) to a London advisor.
  • Record for Théo van Rysselberghe: 'L'Escaut en amont d'Anvers' sold for £8.5 million.
  • Record for Paul Klee work on paper 'Salon Tunisien' at £2 million.
  • Lucian Freud's 'Strawberries' set record for still life at £1.2 million.
  • Many lots unsold, including four consecutive unsold lots.
  • Notable unsold: Cézanne's 'Baigneuses' (£3.1 million), Burri's 'cretto' (£170,000), Picasso's 'Les trois baigneuses' (£850,000).
  • Auction live-streamed on Facebook to half a million viewers.

Entities

Artists

  • Vasily Kandinsky
  • Joan Miró
  • Alberto Giacometti
  • Théo van Rysselberghe
  • Paul Klee
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Lucian Freud
  • Paul Cézanne
  • Auguste Rodin
  • Pino Pascali
  • Alberto Burri
  • Erich Heckel
  • Camille Pissarro
  • Chaïm Soutine
  • Dora Maar

Institutions

  • Sotheby's
  • Sotheby's Europe
  • Tate

Locations

  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Asia
  • USA
  • Europe

Sources