Auction Results: Christie’s first Classic Week in London

Classic Week at Christie’s concluded on 13 July, achieving a total of £109,038,888 / $141,931,118 / €128,048,200. More than 19,000 visitors came to view the diverse displays and auctions, which spanned the Decorative Arts, Antiquities, Old Master & British Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Books and Manuscripts and The Exceptional Sale.
The week realised a strong average sell-through rate of 87 per cent by value across the 14 sales, anticipating the market for each price point and category. Increased international reach was evidenced by the participation of more than 1,000 registered bidders from 50 countries, 695 registered online bidders, and substantial cross-category buying with more than 700 active bidders across the week, including collectors of 20th-century art.
Christie’s achieved seven of the top ten auction prices of the season across all houses, underlining its leading position in the market. The auctions were highlighted by the memorable sale of Rubens’ masterpiece Lot and His Daughters, which achieved the highest price for a work of art at auction this year.
‘Our specialists have continued to innovate and inspire collectors, and I hope that James Christie himself would have been proud that his legacy lives on’
‘Following Christie’s 20th Century sales, and the curated 250th anniversary Defining British Art sale on 30 June which achieved £33.5 million for the Old Master category, Classic Week has been a fitting conclusion to a remarkable summer season at Christie’s,’ Rock continued. ‘Our specialists have continued to innovate and inspire collectors, and I hope that James Christie himself would have been proud that his legacy lives on.’
View full results at