Sotheby’s Opens the London Spring Season in Grand Style

The Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction, together with the subsequent day sales, achieved a total of £154 million and demonstrated that carefully selected works continue to attract strong interest in London. Bidders from 40 countries took part in the sales, while the preview exhibition drew more than 6,000 visitors, further underscoring the international character of the event.

One of the highlights of the entire series was the white-glove sale during the Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction, meaning that every lot offered was sold. This gave the opening of this season a remarkable sense of momentum. It was not only the result itself that stood out, but also the carefully composed auction evening, in which the individual works, their provenance, and the overall selection felt cohesive and compelling.

A significant part of the evening was formed by The Lewis Collection, which achieved a total of £35.8 million. Attention centred particularly on artists associated with the School of London, whose rawness, emotional intensity, and powerful relationship to the figure remain exceptionally compelling to collectors. This part of the sale had a very distinctive atmosphere and served as a reminder of how effective a selection built on a clear curatorial vision can be.

One of the highlights of the evening was Francis Bacon’s Self-Portrait from 1972, which sold for £16 million.

Another standout moment came with Leon Kossoff’s Children’s Swimming Pool, 11 o’clock Saturday Morning, August, which rose from an estimate of £600,000 to £800,000 to £5.2 million, setting a new auction record for the artist. This kind of bidding is a reminder that alongside the expected headline names, there are often moments that bring genuine excitement and tension to the evening.

Remarkable results were also achieved by other works across modern and post-war art. Giacometti’s Femme debout sold for £5.1 million, Brancusi’s Une Muse for £3.6 million, and a work by Barbara Hepworth for £3.5 million. Monet’s Maison du Jardinier also held a special place in the sale; once part of the provenance of John Singer Sargent, it sold this time for £8.2 million. Beyond the artists themselves, the quality of the stories associated with the individual works also proved deeply compelling.

One of the highlights of the entire series was the white-glove sale during the Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction — meaning that every lot offered was sold. This gave the opening of this season a remarkable sense of momentum. It was not only the result itself that stood out, but also the carefully composed auction evening, in which the individual works, their provenance, and the overall selection felt cohesive and compelling.