Here Are the 10 Most Expensive Lots Sold at Auction in June 2024

A $29 million Chardin still life led the way.

Auctioneer Helena Newman at Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction in London in June 2024. Image courtesy Sotheby's

The top auction results in June were for strong blue-chip offerings in Europe, at a moment when U.S. auction salesrooms were comparatively quiet in the wake of a robust round of May sales in New York.

From a stellar Old Master still life at Christie’s Paris to a dynamic mix of modern and contemporary art at Sotheby’s London, here are the top-selling lots for June, as compiled by the Artnet Price Database.

1. Jean Siméon Chardin, Le Melon entamé (1760)

an image of a circular painting showing a bottle of wine and fruits on a table

Jean Siméon Chardin, Le Melon entamé (1760). Image courtesy Christie’s.

Estimate: $8.7 million to $13 million (€8 million to €12 million)

Final Price: $29 million (€26.7 million)

Where & When: Christie’s Paris, June 12, 2024

2. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict (1982)

an image of a three-part graffiti style painting

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict (1982). Image courtesy Sotheby’s.

Estimate: $19.4 million to $25.9 million (£15 million to £20 million)

Final Price: $20.7 million (£16 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 25, 2024

3. Pablo Picasso, Guitare sur un tapis rouge (1922)

an image of a Cubist-style painting with a guitar

Pablo Picasso, Guitare sur un tapis rouge (1922). Image courtesy Sotheby’s.

Estimate: $12.9 million to $19.4 million (£10 million to £15 million)

Final Price: $13.9 million (£10.7 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 25, 2024

4. Alexej von Jawlensky, Spanische Tänzerin, (1909)

an image of a woman in a red dress holding a fan

Alexej von Jawlensky, Spanische Tänzerin, (1909). ©: Ketterer Kunst GmbH and Co. KG

Estimate: $7.6 million (€7 million)

Final Price: $7.5 million (€6.9 million)

Where & When: Ketterer Kunst GmbH & Co KG Munich, June 7, 2024

5. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bouquet de lilas (1878)

an image of a bouquet of flowers in a vase on a table

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bouquet de lilas (1878). Image courtesy Sotheby’s London.

Estimate: $2.6 million to $3.9 million (£2 million to £3 million)

Final Price: $8.9 million (£6.9 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 25, 2024

6. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Tanz im Varieté, (1911)

an image of figures colored purple dancing

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Tanz im Varieté, (1911). ©: Ketterer Kunst GmbH and Co. KG

Estimate: $2.1 million  (€2 million)

Final Price: $9 million (€ 8.3 million)

Where & When: Ketterer Kunst GmbH & Co KG Munich, June 7, 2024

7. Pablo Picasso, Nu assis (1960)

an image of a nude woman painted in Cubist style

Pablo Picasso, Nu assis (1960). Image courtesy Sotheby’s/

Estimate: $4.5 million to $6.4 million (£3.5 million to £5 million)

Final Price: $7.4 million (£5.7 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 25, 2024

8. Ferdinand Hodler, Lake Geneva with the Jura (ca. 1911)

an image of a lake with mountains in the background

Ferdinand Hodler Lake Geneva with the Jura (Circa 1911).
Image courtesy Koller Auctions, Zurich

Estimate: $1.7 million to $2.6 million (CHF1.6 million to CHF 2.4 million)

Final Price: $5.7 million (CHF 5.1 million)

Where & When: Koller Auktionen AG Zurich, June 21, 2024

9. Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, Attese (1966)

an image of a red canvas with red slashes

Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, Attese (1966). Image courtesy Sotheby’s.

Estimate: $3.2 million to $4.5 million (£2.5 million to £3.5 million)

Final Price: $5 million (£4 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 25, 2024

10. Barbara Hepworth, Sea Form (Atlantic), 1964

an image of a tall brown sculpture with green colored openings

Dame Barbara Hepworth, Sea Form (Atlantic), (1964). Image courtesy Sotheby’s

Estimate: $3.9 million to $6.5 million (£3 million to £5 million)

Final Price: $5.1 million (£3.96 million)

Where & When: Sotheby’s London, June 6, 2024


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