Christie’s London evening sales achieved a combined total of £197.5 million ($263.8 million) on March 5, 2026, representing a 52 percent increase year-on-year. The night was headlined by Henry Moore’s monumental bronze sculpture 'King and Queen', which sold for a record-breaking £26.3 million after an eight-minute bidding war. The event also debuted a new auction rostrum designed by Sir Jony Ive’s creative collective, LoveFrom, marking the house's 260th anniversary.
The robust results signal a significant recovery and strengthening of the London art market, driven by high sell-through rates and demand for works with prestigious provenance. Beyond the Moore record, the sales demonstrated depth across categories, with strong performances for Surrealist works, early Lucian Freud paintings, and contemporary pieces by artists like Rose Wylie and Paula Rego, reaffirming London's position as a vital hub for the global art trade.