Christie’s is delighted to announce its upcoming Post-War to Present sales this June, a central highlight of the London Summer Season, a celebration of the dynamism and creativity that the city continues to inspire. Taking place from June to August, the London Summer Season brings together a vibrant programme of auctions, exhibitions, and cultural partnerships.

Key events include the landmark selling exhibitions 75 Years of New Contemporaries, presented by Christie’s Private Sales in partnership with New Contemporaries (19–24 June) and Modern British Art: A Selling Exhibition, showcasing paintings and sculptures by the leading artists of the 20^th century (16-24 June); Classic Week, an artistic journey from antiquity to the 21st century, featuring a timeless masterpiece by Canaletto once owned by Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. In July, Christie’s will present its third summer Arab art exhibition, Marwan: A Soul in Exile, on view from 16 July to 22 August.

This season, Christie’s is also delighted to support Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at the National Portrait Gallery, opening on 20 June.

Building on our well-established platform, Post-War to Present will showcase a dynamic selection of sought-after works by leading figures in contemporary art. With a fresh and diverse selection, this vibrant summer auction will feature defining pieces from the post-war era alongside standout works by some of today’s most compelling artists, offering a dynamic cross-section of voices shaping the contemporary artistic landscape.

The live sale will take place on 26 June 2025 at 1pm, with Post-War to Present: Online open for bidding on christies.com from 17 June to 1 July 2025.Among the leading highlights in the live sale are Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s 8pm Zaragoza (2011) (estimate: £500,000–700,000), an enigmatic, memory-infused portrait that exemplifies the artist’s distinctive ability to conjure fictional yet emotionally resonant figures.

Also featured is Victor Man’s The Chandler (2013) (estimate: £300,000–500,000), a rare, large-scale work from his celebrated Chandler series. This is only the second piece from the series to appear at auction, and the largest from the original 2013 group. Rich in symbolic and literary allusion, the work reflects Man’s nuanced exploration of myth, identity, and transformation. The title references the medieval "chandler" - a candle-keeper - reimagined here as a haunting metaphor.

Other highlights include KAWS Pietà-inspired GONE (2020) (estimate: £500,000-700,000) and Georg Baselitz’s Ein Hund kommt zu spät (A dog arrives too late) (2000) (estimate: £300,000-500,000), both offered at auction for the first time. In conjunction with the major retrospective David Hockney 25 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the sale will feature a rare edition of Hockney’s iPad drawing The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven) - 4 May (2011) (estimate: £180,000-250,000). This work is part of an edition of only ten.

Post-War to Present: Online will showcase an exciting selection of works from 17 June to 1 July, with estimates ranging from £800 to £70,000.

Coinciding with their recent exhibition DEATH HOPE LIFE FEAR … in London, the main highlight from this sale is Gilbert & George’s monumental work Brotherhood (2013) (estimate: £40,000–60,000) from their SCAPEGOATING PICTURES series - a rare, large-scale example exploring London’s multicultural fabric. Another key highlight in the sale is Robert Rauschenberg’s striking work Untitled (estimate: £25,000-35,000), which combines the artist’s own fragmented photographs into a rich, coral-like visual tapestry. Executed in 1997, it belongs to Rauschenberg’s series of Anagrams, for which he refined a process of pigment transfer using water-soluble inkjet dye.

This season, Christie’s Post-War to Present is also delighted to collaborate with Mothers2Mothers UK* and Camden Arts Centre**, auctioning lots to benefit these two important charities across its live and online sales.

An exhibition of the Post-War to Present sales will be on view at Christie’s King Street from 19 to 24 June. Select highlights will remain on display on 25 and 26 June. Visit christies.com for opening times.

75 Years of New Contemporaries is a landmark selling exhibition presented by New Contemporaries - the UK’s leading organisation supporting early career and emerging artists—in partnership with Christie’s Private Sales***. Hosted at Christie’s King Street from 19 to 24 June 2025, the exhibition will feature works generously donated by acclaimed contemporary artists, including many New Contemporaries alumni. An accompanying online exhibition will also be live on christies.com from 12 June to 14 September 2025.

This charitable initiative marks the first time in New Contemporaries’ history that it has mobilised its artistic community to raise vital funds in support of its mission. Proceeds from the exhibition will help ensure that emerging artists continue to thrive and receive the support they need at a crucial stage in their careers.

Participating artists include: Hurvin Anderson, Sarah Ball, Fiona Banner, Basil Beattie, Michael Craig-Martin, Andrew Cranston, Tracey Emin, Jadé Fadojutimi, Jake Grewal, Maggi Hambling, Tommy Harrison, John Hoyland, Sang Woo Kim, Sahara Longe, Raúl Ortega Ayala, Emma Prempeh, Laure Prouvost, Abigail Reynolds, Anne Rothenstein, George Rouy, Veronica Ryan, Daniel Sinsel, and Nana Wolke.

Modern British Art: A Selling Exhibition, organised by Christie’s Private Sales, presents paintings and sculptures by the leading artists of the 20^th century. As Britain navigated a radically changing cultural landscape, artists formed avant-garde groups that responded and challenged the wave of new voices and ideas. Open online from 12 to 30 June and on view at Christie’s London (16 -24 June), the exhibition features works by the St Ives Modernists, Constructivists, Scottish Colourists and School of London. Led by Henry Moore’s Draped Reclining Figure, further highlights include works by Dame Barbara Hepworth, Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, L.S. Lowry and Sir Winston Churchill.

*100% of the hammer price for these lots will go to Mothers2Mothers (UK) Limited, a registered charity in the United Kingdom (charity number 1119721)

**100% of the hammer price for this lot will go to Camden Arts Centre, a registered charity in the United Kingdom (charity number 1065829)

*** New Contemporaries (1988) Limited (registered in England with charity number 1013848) will receive a minimum amount of 80% of the sale price from each artwork included and sold in this exhibition.

Highlights from Post-War to Present

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