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2–5 December 2025 • London
The December 2025 Old Masters Week at Sotheby’s London achieved a strong combined total of £43 million ($57 million), marking the second-highest Old Masters series in London since 2019. Participation was global, with collectors from 45 countries and nearly 20% new buyers in the Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening sale. The week encompassed five auctions, all of which performed at or above expectations, including record sell-through rates for the Old Master Paintings Day Sale and more than 5,000 visitors attending the preview exhibitions. Standout results included Rembrandt’s Saint John on Patmos at £6.8 million, Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s The Census at Bethlehem at £5.2 million, and a rare triptych by the Master of the Sherborne Almshouse at £5.7 million, sold to support the Sherborne Almshouse.
Across the broader week of sales, The Sven A. Behrendt Collection realised £3.1 million, led by Hans Bol’s panoramic Antwerp view, which set an artist record. The 19th & 20th Century European Art sale achieved £3.6 million, highlighted by Aivazovsky’s Clouds soaring far above estimate. The Old Master Prints sale followed with £1.6 million in total, featuring strong results for Goya’s Los Caprichos and Rembrandt’s Hundred Guilder Print. In total, 399 of 491 lots sold (81.3% by lot), bringing the Old Masters Division’s annual total to $235 million—solidifying Sotheby’s position as a driving force in the continued resurgence and global demand for Old Masters.