Christie’s 20/21 Week totals €80,892,328 and confirms its position as market leader in Paris

Paris, 17 April 2026 - The week of sales devoted to Modern and Contemporary Art held at Christie's France from 14 to 17 April confirmed the sustained interest of collectors in works of outstanding quality drawn from carefully assembled private collections. Across six sales, including three single-owner collections and one online sale, the week totaled EUR 80,892,328, a 39 percent increase compared with the April 2025 week, which recorded EUR 58 million in sales. This marks a record season for Christie's in Paris. The exhibitions enjoyed great success with the public, drawing more than 6,500 visitors, and the result confirms the growing importance of the spring season in Paris within the 20th and 21st century art market. It establishes a new momentum that echoes that of Paris Art Basel in October, setting two major highlights of the year in Paris, much like the art weeks in New York, London, and Hong Kong.

Cécile Verdier, Chair of Christie's France, said: "These exceptional results demonstrate the success of Christie's strategy to establish a major week dedicated to modern and contemporary art, mirroring the events held in New York, London and Hong Kong. They are also the result of a remarkable collaborative effort by our French and international teams, made possible by our exhibition spaces, which allow us to showcase the diversity of the works entrusted to us."

Collection Claude Terrasse opens the week

The sale Collection Claude Terrasse : dans l'intimité de Pierre Bonnard, which opened the Paris sales week, met with remarkable success, achieving a total of EUR 3.3 million. With 100 percent of lots sold, it far exceeded its high estimate, illustrating the enduring appeal of Pierre Bonnard's work, as well as strong interest in historic and family provenances and works offered at auction for the first time. Confirming the historical and museum-quality importance of the ensemble, three works by Pierre Bonnard, Le Pressoir : Dessin pour 'Daphnis et Chloé', La Rue and Projet pour la lithographie Malheureuse Adèle (opérette de Claude Terrasse), were pre-empted by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Several lots doubled, tripled, or even multiplied tenfold their estimates, notably the painter's palette, estimated at EUR 3,000 to EUR 5,000, which achieved EUR 40,640.

Radical Genius confirms the works on paper market

Strong results continued on Wednesday with Radical Genius: Works on Paper from a Distinguished Private Collection, which confirmed the robustness of the market for works on paper. Totaling EUR 15,671,035, this second auction of the week was marked by several significant results. The most eagerly awaited lot, Femme assise by Paul Cézanne, achieved EUR 3,964,000. Piet Mondrian's Study I for Boogie Woogie sold for EUR 3,720,000, underscoring the exceptional importance of the collection. Femme nue debout aux mains croisées, a superb charcoal on paper by Picasso, doubled its estimate to achieve EUR 2,500,000 after an intense bidding battle between several bidders on the telephone and in the saleroom.

The Evening Sale and a world record for Claude Lalanne

The evening sale of modern and contemporary art, a much anticipated event for collectors, achieved a total of EUR 40,645,650, with 94 percent of lots sold. Among the most eagerly awaited lots, La Femme au chapeau by Maurice de Vlaminck was acquired for EUR 5,550,000, while Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes Bild achieved EUR 2,317,000. La Pomme de New York by Claude Lalanne, another major highlight of the sale, sold for EUR 6,038,000, establishing a new world record for the artist. The artist's other lots were equally successful: the Miroir, a unique work from 2009, doubled its estimate to achieve EUR 1,397,000, while the Paire de portes, a special commission for the exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, quintupled its estimate, reaching EUR 1,143,000.

The sale delivered a cascade of records for women artists. In addition to Claude Lalanne's La Pomme de New York, Poblado L by Olga de Amaral set a new record in France, achieving EUR 660,400, while No. 1-1964 Urbanisme by Anna-Eva Bergman established a new world record for the artist at EUR 571,500. Femmes et oiseaux dans la nuit by Joan Miró more than doubled its high estimate to reach EUR 2,256,000, while a charming pastel by Claude Monet, recently restituted to its rightful owners, sold for nearly three times its estimate, achieving EUR 857,250. The Thinking Italian section continued to captivate collectors, with 100 percent of its lots sold during the Evening Sale: Mobile by Ettore Spalletti sold for EUR 203,200, setting a new world record for the artist, while Piazza d'Italia by Giorgio de Chirico quintupled its estimate, achieving EUR 698,500. Across the Evening Sale and the Contemporary Art Day Sale, the section totaled EUR 4,575,810.

Two Day Sales close the week

On 16 and 17 April, two Day Sales delivered strong results. On 16 April, the Art Contemporain sale saw Lost in Thought by Tony Cragg set a new French record for the artist, quadrupling its high estimate to achieve EUR 419,100. Palmostern by Anselm Kiefer doubled its high estimate to reach EUR 368,300, while Untitled by Verena Loewensberg established a new record in France for the artist at EUR 60,960. On 17 April, a remarkable double-sided Van Gogh drawing caused a sensation, sparking a fierce bidding war that concluded at EUR 1,206,500, ten times its estimate. A plaster by Camille Claudel likewise surprised the room by achieving EUR 381,000, as did Nourrice au fond d'un jardin by Berthe Morisot at EUR 533,400, and Les Jardins publics : Feuillage : IV by Édouard Vuillard, which sold for EUR 215,300, marking the high points of the Art Impressionniste et Moderne sale.

The week concluded with the online charity sale Henri Matisse : Tracer le lien, œuvres sur papier de la Fondation Pierre et Tana Matisse, which totaled EUR 1,556,766. Proceeds from the sale will fund art education projects for many underprivileged children. La danse, a color etching echoing the work held in the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, sold for EUR 114,300.

Selected results

(Press Release)