London 20th Century Week brought together an impressive selection of Modern and Impressionist art, ranging from Picasso ceramics and works on paper to monumental British sculpture and masterpieces by Kazimir Malevich and Claude Monet. There were many exceptional artworks sold this week, but in this blog post, we want to tell you about the outstanding results of Christie’s London Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale held on June 20.
The top lot at Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale was a large oil on canvas work “La Gare Saint-Lazare, vue exterieure,” painted by the founder of French Impressionist painting Claude Monet in 1877 in Paris. It was sold for a staggering $33.1 million. Depicting the renowned Gare Saint-Lazare filled with thick, billowing smoke and steam, this gorgeous painting, which can be easily called a true icon of Impressionism, is one of twelve similar works made in a period of Monet’s intense creativity.
Among other highlights hammered at Christie’s London Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale were works by Kazimir Malevich, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, and other world-known artists. The most prominent include:
- “Femme dans un fauteuil (Dora Maar)” by Pablo Picasso, painted on 24 April 1942 in Paris (sold for $25.6 million)
- “Drei Pferde” by Franz Marc, executed in 1912 (sold for $20.4 million, exceeding its high estimate by more than four times)
- “Baiser, moyen modele dit “Taille de la Porte” – modele avec base simplifiee” by Auguste Rodin, cast in July 1890 (sold for $16.7 million, exceeding its high estimate by more than $9 million)
- “Landscape” by Kazimir Malevich, executed in 1911 (sold for $10.4 million)
- “L’Estaque” by Georges Braque, painted circa 1906 (sold for $7 million)
Overall, Christie’s London Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale totaled $169.8 million, including buyer’s premium.