Story perspectives

Sotheby's Nets £393 m; Modigliani Hits Record, Asians Lead

6/27/2026

Summary

Joe Lewis Collection Sold

Sotheby's sold British billionaire Joe Lewis's collection for £393.4 million ($520.7 million), with a first session of £296.3 million ($392.6 million).
Amedeo Modigliani's “Nu assis au collier” fetched £48.2 million ($63.9 million), the highest price for the artist in Europe.
The sale included Gustav Klimt's portrait for £36.2 million ($47.9 million) and Egon Schiele's work for £29.3 million ($38.8 million).
Asian buyers purchased half the lots, including the Klimt portrait, indicating an eastward shift in art capital.

Summary

Sotheby’s Sets Record

The work sold for a reported £48.2 million, a European auction record for a Modigliani, though the hammer price was lower after fees.
Sotheby’s used the sale to test London’s post-Brexit auction strength and gauge buyer concentration.
Provenance links to dealer Léopold Zborowski, a 1995 Christie’s purchase for $12.4 million, and the “Modigliani Nord Sud” exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco from July 8 to September 3 2028.

1 of 2

Joe Lewis Collection Sold

Sotheby's sold British billionaire Joe Lewis's collection for £393.4 million ($520.7 million), with a first session of £296.3 million ($392.6 million).
Amedeo Modigliani's “Nu assis au collier” fetched £48.2 million ($63.9 million), the highest price for the artist in Europe.
The sale included Gustav Klimt's portrait for £36.2 million ($47.9 million) and Egon Schiele's work for £29.3 million ($38.8 million).
Asian buyers purchased half the lots, including the Klimt portrait, indicating an eastward shift in art capital.

1 / 2