Excellent results at the Impressionist and Modern Art sales organised by Sotheby’s and Christie’s of London

This season’s Impressionist and Modern Art sales held in London proved an outstanding success. Four new records were set on 20 June at Sotheby’s evening sale, which generated close to GBP 46 million for a total of 37 lots.

The star lot was “Femme au grand chapeau” (1906) by Kees VAN DONGEN (1877-1968). The painting, which sold for GBP 2 million in 1997, went under the hammer for GBP 4.5 million, the highest price ever paid for a work by the artist.

Pointillism also held a prestigious place with two new records: one for Paul SIGNAC‘s “Les Andelys”, which sold for GBP 3,25 million and another for Henri Edmond CROSS‘s Vendanges (GBP 2,65 million). The Artprice Index for the Pointillist movement, currently the subject of an exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, has gained 172% since January 1995. Finally, the last record of the evening was generated by “Deux Femmes, la corde et le chien” by LE CORBUSIER (1887-1965) which sold for GBP 792,000.

Christie’s sale the following day generated GBP 31.5 million. “Portrait de Jeanne Hébuterne” by Amedeo MODIGLIANI fetched the highest price of the evening at GBP 2.9 million. Two artists beat their previous records during the evening sale: Karl SCHMIDT-ROTTLUFF (GBP 2.2 million for “In der Dämmerung”, 1912) and Alexander ARCHIPENKO (GBP 1.3 million for “Woman”, 1918).