London, 6 March 2025 - Phillips' Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale in London realized £15,386,940 ($19,821,456 / €18,350,465), a measured but confident result in a more selective market. Of the 29 lots offered, 26 found buyers, for a sell-through rate of 90 percent by lot and 87 percent by value. The American painter Joan Mitchell's Canada II led the evening, and the sale set new auction records for Nathanaëlle Herbelin and Florian Krewer.
Reflecting on the result, Olivia Thornton, Phillips' Head of Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe, said the sale "stands as a testament to the robust confidence placed in Phillips." She noted that, "in a more measured market, we remain focused and adaptable, curating thoughtful sales and delivering strong results for our clients, resulting in a 90% sell-through rate." Thornton pointed to the freshness of the material on offer, observing that the house was "excited to secure fresh-to-market works," with nearly 75 percent of the sale having never been offered at auction before, pairing "blue-chip names alongside cutting-edge artists." She added that Phillips looked forward to "carrying this momentum into tomorrow's Day Sale and upcoming auctions in New York and Hong Kong."
The leading lots
Joan Mitchell's Canada II (1975) anchored the sale, selling for £2,710,000 ($3,491,022 / €3,231,946). Jean-Michel Basquiat followed with two works among the top ten, led by Pattya (1984), which realized £1,681,500 ($2,166,108 / €2,005,357), while his earlier Untitled (1982) brought £609,600 ($785,287 / €727,009). Christopher Wool was equally prominent across two lots: Lester's Sister (My Brain) (2000) achieved £1,379,000 ($1,776,428 / €1,644,595), and Untitled (1997) sold for £927,100 ($1,194,290 / €1,105,659), comfortably above its estimate of £600,000 to £800,000.
Yayoi Kusama, celebrated for her enveloping fields of repetition, placed two works in the top ten. INFINITY-NETS [APPGF] (2017), from the series for which she is best known, realized £762,000 ($981,608 / €908,761), and Pumpkin (2006) brought £635,000 ($818,007 / €757,301). Sean Scully's Landline Inward (2015) sold for £736,600 ($948,888 / €878,469), the German artist Anselm Kiefer's Für Gérard de Nerval (2015 to 2021) matched Kusama's Pumpkin at £635,000 ($818,007 / €757,301), and KAWS closed the top ten with GONE (2018), which reached £571,500 ($736,206 / €681,571).
New auction records
Two artists set new world auction records during the evening. Nathanaëlle Herbelin's Max (2015 to 2022), estimated at £25,000 to £35,000, sold for £57,150 ($73,621 / €68,157), surpassing the artist's previous record of £16,380 set in 2025. Florian Krewer's Untitled (2015), carrying an estimate of £30,000 to £50,000, realized £40,640 ($52,352 / €48,467), well ahead of the previous record of £20,160 set in 2024.
Top ten lots
| Lot | Artist and work | Estimate | Price achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Joan Mitchell, Canada II, 1975 | £3,000,000 to £5,000,000 | £2,710,000 ($3,491,022 / €3,231,946) |
| 18 | Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pattya, 1984 | £2,000,000 to £3,000,000 | £1,681,500 ($2,166,108 / €2,005,357) |
| 16 | Christopher Wool, Lester's Sister (My Brain), 2000 | £1,200,000 to £1,800,000 | £1,379,000 ($1,776,428 / €1,644,595) |
| 6 | Christopher Wool, Untitled, 1997 | £600,000 to £800,000 | £927,100 ($1,194,290 / €1,105,659) |
| 14 | Yayoi Kusama, INFINITY-NETS [APPGF], 2017 | £700,000 to £1,000,000 | £762,000 ($981,608 / €908,761) |
| 7 | Sean Scully, Landline Inward, 2015 | £600,000 to £800,000 | £736,600 ($948,888 / €878,469) |
| 20 | Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin, 2006 | £400,000 to £600,000 | £635,000 ($818,007 / €757,301) |
| 10 | Anselm Kiefer, Für Gérard de Nerval, 2015 to 2021 | £600,000 to £800,000 | £635,000 ($818,007 / €757,301) |
| 5 | Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1982 | £400,000 to £600,000 | £609,600 ($785,287 / €727,009) |
| 27 | KAWS, GONE, 2018 | £600,000 to £800,000 | £571,500 ($736,206 / €681,571) |
The result follows Phillips' standing as a leading global platform for 20th and 21st century works, with dedicated expertise across Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels, and principal auctions held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong.
Estimates do not include buyer's premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium. Exchange rate on 6 March 2025: GBP£1 = US$1.2882, €1.1926, HK$10.0128.
(Press Release)
