Phillips’s Modern and contemporary evening sale in London concluded with a total of £13 million ($17.3 million), marking a 16 percent decline compared to the previous year's equivalent auction. The sale was led by Andy Warhol’s "Mao" and Vilhelm Hammershøi’s "Interior of Woman Placing Branches in Vase on Table," both of which fetched £1.6 million including fees. Despite the overall contraction in total sales, the auction saw a significant breakout for Danish painter Anna Ancher, whose work "Young Girl Reading a Letter" sold for £154,800, tripling its high estimate and setting a new auction record for the artist.
The results reflect a cautious but selective art market where third-party guarantees and distinguished provenance remain crucial for moving high-value lots. The success of the Danish works from the collection of former U.S. Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. highlights a growing niche interest in Scandinavian masters, even as the broader market for blue-chip contemporary names like Warhol shows signs of cooling with results landing within or below initial estimates.