Surrealist works performed well, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Surrealist Manifesto. Three works by René Magritte saw competitive bidding, led by Le grand style, which more than doubled its low estimate, reaching £2,581,000. With 33 of the 52 works in the Evening Sale fresh to the market and 24 lots achieving over £1,000,000, Christie’s London continues to draw buyers to top quality works from around the world.

The Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper sale also concluded on 9 October, bringing in a total of £6,094,368. The top lot was Pablo Picasso’s Tête de Mousquetaire (1972). The pastel, chalk and ink picture sold for £680,400, more than four-times its low estimate. Selling 91% by lot and 87% by value, the results cement London’s place as a centre of excellence for the category.

On 10 October, the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale saw spirited bidding, realising £12,634,020. Coinciding with a new solo show at White Cube, Tracey Emin’s The Shower sold for £504,000 while Salvo’s Primavera achieved £277,200 — more than five times its low estimate. A rare hand-painted Mount Vesuvius by Andy Warhol, and a sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley brought more than double their low estimates, proving the enduring value of works by major contemporary artists.

Modern British and Irish Art Evening and Day auctions closed the sales in London with excellent results, establishing Christie’s as the market leader in this category. Sculpture saw particularly strong demand, with Henry Moore’s Rocking Chair No.3 achieving £2,883,500 and Lynn Chadwick’s Walking Woman selling for £1,371,000, while Barry Flanagan’s sculpture Thinker made £1,310,500.

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