Christie’s Auction House to Hold Record-Breaking Sale in London
June 23, 2010, is a special day not only in London but throughout England. At first glance, this date may bring to mind the England–Slovenia World Cup match, but at the same time the world-renowned auction house Christie´s will also be staging what is likely to be the most valuable auction London has ever seen. According to its own estimates, Christie´s expects the auction in London on June 23, 2010, at which a total of 63 paintings will go under the hammer, to raise the equivalent of around 275 million euros. The highest bids are expected for Claude Monet’s painting “Nymphéas” and Pablo Picasso’s “The Absinthe Drinker.” Christie’s expects bids of up to 50 million euros for both Monet’s painting from his Water Lilies series and Picasso’s painting from the artist’s so-called “Blue Period.”
Christie’s Auction House to Hold Record-Breaking Sale in London
Date: 30/09/2026
If the estimated 275 million euros is indeed raised at the auction, it would set a historic record for an auction in London. No single event on the island—in England or anywhere in Great Britain—has ever reached a higher total. Paintings by Claude Monet and auctions at Christie´s seem to have a penchant for records, as a 2008 auction at Christie’s in New York demonstrates. Two years ago, Monet’s “Le Bassin Aux Nympheas,” also a painting from the Water Lilies series, changed hands for the equivalent of 51.7 million euros.
At the June 23, 2010 auction at Christie´s in London, only paintings belonging to the Impressionist or Modern movements will go under the hammer. Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso are among the best-known artists of all time, and their works regularly fetch record sums at auctions around the world. An auction at Christie´s is also one of London’s intangible sights in London.
Kai Rebmann
