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)
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)
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)
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)
Alexej von Jawlensky, Spanische Tänzerin, (1909). ©: Ketterer Kunst GmbH and Co. KG
Estimate: $7.6 million (€7 million)
Final Price: $9 million (€8.3 million)
Where & When: Ketterer Kunst GmbH & Co KG Munich, June 7, 2024
5. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bouquet de lilas (1878)
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)
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Tanz im Varieté, (1911). ©: Ketterer Kunst GmbH and Co. KG
Estimate: $2.1 million (€2 million)
Final Price: $7.5 million (€ 6.9 million)
Where & When: Ketterer Kunst GmbH & Co KG Munich, June 7, 2024
7. Pablo Picasso, Nu assis (1960)
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)
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)
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
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