US Tariffs: You may be charged a tariff if you wish to import certain lots in this sale into the US. Please note that these tariffs do not apply to ‘informational materials’ which include unique goods created by an artist such as paintings, drawings, pastels, engravings, prints, lithographs, sculptures, books, manuscripts, photographs and films. Buyers are responsible for paying any applicable customs duties/charges, taxes, tariffs or other government charges relating to the import of a lot in accordance with section H2(b) of the Conditions of Sale.

Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale

Sale Overview

Christie’s flagship 20th/21st Century auction series in London continues on 18 March with our landmark Evening Sale dedicated to Modern British and Irish Art.

The auction is led by Frank Auerbach’s Christmas Tree at Mornington Crescent (2004–05): commanding in scale and vibrancy, it is a triumphant celebration of paint’s power to capture a landscape rich in memory.

Conceived and cast in 1988, Lynn Chadwick’s Back to Venice encapsulates many of the artist’s most enduring themes and is inextricably tied to the city that shaped his international reputation, marking his return to the Venice Biennale more than three decades after his Grand Prix for Sculpture. Barbara Hepworth’s dedication to direct carving is honoured in Curved Form (1960), exquisitely carved from a single piece of walnut and perfectly embodying her lifelong commitment to truth to materials.

The post‑war period is represented by a dynamic group of works: Recollection (1986) captures Bridget Riley at a pivotal moment of transformation, with her introduction of tessellating ‘zig’ parallelograms creating dynamic spatial rhythms. British Pop pioneer Peter Phillips’ seminal Motorpsycho/Ace (1962) appears at auction for the first time, coming from the collection of the renowned curator and art historian Enrico Crispolti.

Several works in the sale trace the evolution of 20th‑century British modernism, including Ben Nicholson’s 1938 (white relief); Barbara Hepworth’s Solitary Form (1971) carved from white marble; and four works by Henry Moore, spanning 50 years of his practice across sculpture and drawing.

Widely exhibited, Glyn Philpot’s luminous and tender portrait Balthazar (1929) stands as the most important painting by the artist to come to auction. The sale also features works by L.S. Lowry, Sir Winston Churchill and Sir John Lavery, as well as sculptures by Emily Young and Barry Flanagan.

Explore our 20th and 21st Century Art auctions in London.

Auction times

18 Mar 06:30 PM (GMT) Lots 1-26

Our specialist’s selection

Brought to you by

Alice Murray

Head of Evening Sale | Modern British and Irish Art

As Head of Evening sale, Alice advises clients on buying and selling 20th century British and Irish Art at auction and private sale. Alongside her expertise in British Modernism, studio ceramics, Post-War British art and the work of Stanley Spencer, Alice is particularly passionate about promoting the work of female and under-represented artists.

Alice joined Christie's in 2011, and has since been involved in several notable auction sales including: the Noël Coward sale (2015), the Brian Sewell collection (2016), the record-breaking Defining British Art sale (2016), The Collection of Sir Nicholas Goodison (2022) and in leading the launch of the first online auctions for Modern British and Irish Art (2016).

During her tenure as Head of the Modern British & Irish Art Day Sale, Christie's achieve the highest grossing total for the category (October 2021). Prior to this, Alice was Head of the Modern British & Irish Art sale at South Kensington (2016-2017); the Modern British and Impressionist and Modern Art Online and Mid-Season Sales (2016-2019); and the perennially successful Picasso Ceramics sales (2017-2019).

Alice also speaks French and Spanish, holding a First Class Honours Languages degree with Distinction from Edinburgh University.