Lynette Yiadom Boakye Leads Christie's $13.11m 'Post-War to Present' Auction in London

A work by Lynette Yiadom Boakye was the headline sale at Christie's 'Post-War to Present' auction on June 27 in London.

• The sale totaled $13.11m, meeting the pre-sale estimate.

Snapshot of the sale

• 121 works sold totaling $13.11m.
• Estimates totaled: $11.6m (low) and $17.02m (high), excluding premiums.
• The sell-through rate was 83% of the original 145 lots announced.

The star lot was: Lynette Yiadom Boakye, 5am, Cadiz (2009), which sold for $716,900, 5% below its $762,100 low estimate. It has been traded once in the past.

The outperformer sold for 1400% above its low estimate. Sophia Loeb, Eu descanso através da sua paz (I Rest Through Your Peace) (2024), sold for $76,500 ($5,080 low estimate). It has not been traded before.

• 54 works, or 45%, sold above their high estimate.
• 52 works, or 43%, sold within their low and high estimate.
• 15 works, or 12%, sold below their low estimate.
• 0 sold with undisclosed estimates.

Guaranteed sales

19 works were backed by guarantees, including: Alighiero e Boetti, Oggi ventesimo giorno dell'ottavo mese dell'anno millenovecento ottantotto (1988). It sold for $573,500, 29% above its $444,500 low estimate.. It has been traded once in the past.

Works that did not sell

18 works were bought-in, including: Banksy, Love Rat (White Border) (2002), estimated at $190,500 (low) to $254,000 (high). It has not been traded before.

Withdrawn before the sale

6 works were withdrawn before the sale, including: Howard Hodgkin, Always Afternoon (2016) estimated at $317,500 (low) to $444,500 (high).

Terms and definitions

All results include the fees and premiums added to the price of a work of art when the auctioneer's hammer falls. Sale prices are compared to the auction house’s low estimate, which do not include premiums.

Guarantees: Sometimes an auction house guarantees to pay a seller for a work, regardless of whether the bidding reaches the reserve price, a figure that is typically confidential.

Bought-in: If there are no bids for a work, or if bidding falls short of the reserve price, the lot is unsold or “bought-in”.

Withdrawn: This happens when a seller decides, for whatever reason, to withdraw a work before the bidding begins.

Premiums: Typically a sliding-scale of charges paid in addition to the hammer price by the buyer, plus any other fees.