LONDON.- On 21 and 22 October 2026, Christie's will host its flagship Modern British and Irish Art Sales, presenting outstanding works by the major artists who shaped British and Irish art in the 20th and 21st centuries. Spanning the most influential movements and developments from across the category, including British Pop Art, the London and St Ives Schools, and Post War British sculpture, the auctions will present key works by artists such as Dame Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Sir Frank Bowling, Euan Uglow, Paul Henry, Frank Auerbach, Augustus John and Ben Nicholson, among others.

The Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale (21 October 2026)

The breadth and innovation of Dame Barbara Hepworth's artistic practice is reflected in an outstanding presentation of works, spanning a range of materials and techniques, from direct carving in stone and wood to the exploration of form, colour and space through brass and string. Masterwork Sculpture with Colour (Eos) (conceived and carved in 1946) was created at a pivotal moment in the artist's career, and stands out as a landmark example of her pioneering approach to carving, colour and space. It was recently included in the major exhibition Hepworth in Colour at the Courtauld Gallery, London, earlier this year. Orpheus (Maquette 1) (conceived in 1956) exemplifies a pivotal moment in her career, as she moved beyond direct carving to explore a new, additive approach to sculpture. Combining a sweeping brass arc with taut strings, the work evokes the musicality of the Greek myth of Orpheus and reflects Hepworth's distinctive exploration of form, space and tension. Orpheus (Maquette 1) also carries an important provenance: it is being sold by the late Mrs N.E. (Betty) Jayne, who acquired the sculpture in 1975. During the Second World War, betty worked with the code breakers at Bletchley Park. Inspired by her transformative journey to Greece in 1954, Figure (Sunion) reflects Hepworth's profound response to the ancient architecture and dramatic landscape of the Aegean coast. Carved in elm, the sculpture draws on the monumental presence of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, translating her experience of its enduring forms, rhythms and relationship with the surrounding landscape into a deeply personal work. Lastly, Sea Form (Porthmeor) (conceived in 1958 and carrying an estimate of �1,200,000-1,800,000) is among the most celebrated bronzes of Barbara Hepworth's mature career. Cast in an edition of seven, the present work is the only example that remains in private hands, the six other casts having been acquired by major public institutions across Europe and North America.

Painted between 1968 and 1970, Sir Frank Bowling's Degaulle G.E.P. belongs to his celebrated 'Map Paintings' series, first exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1971. It is the first work from this groundbreaking series to come to auction. Realised in 1978, Frank Auerbach's Head of J.Y.M. depicts Juliet Yardley Mills, one of the artist's longstanding sitters, who visited his Camden studio twice weekly from 1956. Reflecting Auerbach's sustained commitment to a small circle of models, the work embodies his intensive, ongoing exploration of the human face. This work was also included in the artist's major 2001 retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts and was chosen as the cover of the Academy's magazine that autumn. Euan Uglow's Pyramid (1993–96) reflects his fascination with the monumental forms of ancient Egypt, translating his encounter with the pyramids into a carefully constructed study of geometric form and the human figure. Through the interplay of light, shadow and precise composition, the artist balances the figure's physical presence with the enduring simplicity and stillness of the pyramid.

A highlight of the Evening sale is Henry Moore's Family Group, conceived in 1947. It is a tender and powerful depiction of the subject which Moore has become synonymous with and stands as an emblem of post-war renewal in Britain. Conceived in 1984 and never before offered at auction, Moore's Head captures the head, neck and shoulders of a figure in a strikingly simplified form. With remarkable economy of means, Moore conveys a powerful sense of vitality and dignity as the figure gazes over its shoulder into the distance. Another striking example of British sculpture, Lynn Chadwick's monumental Cloaked Figure IX (1978) embodies the abstract, angular forms and commanding presence of his mature style. Nearly two metres tall, the figure's geometric head and deeply folded cloak create a powerful sense of movement, mystery and quiet authority. Patrick Caulfield's Large Storage Jars (1967) combines bold, graphic outlines with a vivid monochromatic ground, balancing the flatness of the painted surface with an illusion of depth and interior space. Reflecting the influence of colour field painting and post-painterly abstraction, the work transforms familiar objects into a striking study of colour, light and form. Large Storage Jars is being sold by the family of Peter Ward, Patrick Caulfield's closest and longest-standing friend, whose photographs offer a rare insight into the artist.

Augustus John's The Way Down to the Sea and Walter Richard Sickert's The Horses of St Mark's, Venice both come from the renowned Collection of the Hon. Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay. The Way Down to the Sea was hailed as a major achievement when exhibited at the New English Art Club's summer exhibition in 1909, cementing John's reputation as one of the most talked-about young artists of his generation. It was acquired by American collector John Quinn in 1913, and exhibited in that year in the acclaimed International Exhibition of Modern Art. The Horses of St Mark's, Venice reflects Sickert's enduring fascination with Venice, a city that became a defining subject of his artistic practice. Although best known for his depictions of London's music halls and Camden Town interiors, Sickert returned repeatedly to Venice, exploring its distinctive character with remarkable persistence and conviction. Among the Modern Irish painting highlights in the sale is The Fairy Thorn by Paul Henry (1925), which captures the distinctive atmosphere of the Irish landscape, reflecting the artist's celebrated ability to evoke the poetry and quiet beauty of rural Ireland. The work was first exhibited in New York in 1929 as part of the landmark Contemporary Irish Art: First American Exhibition, where it was acquired by the pioneering American industrialist and financier John Raskob. In 1929, he took charge of the Empire State Building Corporation, providing the key financing for the construction of the iconic building in Manhattan. Another major highlight in the Evening Sale is Sir Winston Churchill's Amaryllis Lily, from 1948, a striking example of his engagement with the still life genre. A significant, practical influence on his work came from Walter Sickert himself, who introduced Churchill to the method of working from photographs. Churchill gave the painting to his youngest daughter, Lady Mary Soames, who then gifted it in 1995 to the Churchill Fellowship to be used at the charity's discretion in support of its work. 100% of the hammer price for this lot will benefit The Churchill Fellowship, the operating name of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (registered in England with charity number 313952). The proceeds from the sale will be used to help fund the Churchill Fellowship's “Making Space for the Arts” programme*. The Evening Sale also includes two important still lifes: Chromatic (1932; estimate: �100,000–150,000) by Gluck was inspired by an arrangement of white flowers created by society florist Constance Spry and dates from a period when the artist was gaining recognition while openly challenging the gender conventions of the day. Sir William Nicholson's Watches and Freesias (estimate: �300,000-500,000), painted in 1915, is a finely observed still life of particular personal significance, bringing together two gold pocket watches - one belonging to the artist and the other to Edie Stuart Wortley, who would later become his second wife.

The Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale (22 October 2026)

Gerard Dillon's The Cottage Window, circa 1950, comes from the distinguished collection of the late Zoltan Lewinter-Frankl, one of the most important collectors and patrons of post-war Irish and Ulster art. An early champion of artists including Gerard Dillon, Daniel O'Neill and Colin Middleton, Lewinter-Frankl assembled one of the most important collections of modern Irish art of his generation. Painted by one of Ireland's most original twentieth-century artists, The Cottage Window reflects Dillon's deeply personal vision, drawing inspiration from the rural landscapes and vernacular traditions of the west of Ireland. David Hockney's portrait of the critic and art historian Douglas Cooper (1911-1984), who is best known for his role as one of the 'Monuments Men' in the wake of the Second World War, and for his prominent Cubist collection. Cooper's friendship with Hockney began later in his life and was in a large part due to their shared love of Picasso. Hockney first travelled to Cooper's home, the Ch�teau de Castille in Provence, in the summer of 1967, and would continue to visit over the subsequent decades. Another important highlight in the sale is Sea Form, a painting by Barbara Hepworth's, which reflects her intuitive response to the Cornish landscape, particularly the windswept beaches and shifting tides visible from her studio in St Ives. Its rhythmic lines, intersecting forms and vibrant blue pigments evoke the movement of waves and the erosion of rock by the sea. The work combines geometric structure with organic fluidity, capturing the coastline and Atlantic Ocean as enduring sources of inspiration throughout Hepworth's artistic life. Modern Irish artists are also widely represented in the sale, through works by Jack Butler Yeats, Paul Henry, Roderic O'Conor, and William Scott. Highlights by Scottish artists include paintings by Joan Eardley, John Duncan Fergusson and Samuel John Peploe. The Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale will also present a selection of works from the Estate of the late British novelist Dame Jilly Cooper, including Diana in the Corn (circa 1932) by Sir William Nicholson; Rural Landscape (circa 1930) by John Nash; and Drapery study for 'No Man's Land' (circa 1918-19) by Charles Sargeant Jagger.