Hepworth's Blue-Painted Eos Leads Christie's London Night at £8m Estimate
A blue-painted stone carving by Dame Barbara Hepworth could fetch up to £8 million in London next week.
Christie's said Sculpture with Colour (Eos) will lead its Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale, its flagship evening auction, in London on 21 October 2026. The house puts the estimate, the published price range before a sale, at £5,000,000-£8,000,000. Christie's
The work was carved and painted in 1946. Its maker, Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975), was a British sculptor inspired by the natural world.
It is cut from a single piece of pale Hopton Wood stone. Blue, pale grey and white paint sits inside the carved forms, and the work is unique, meaning only one was made. It measures 23 in. (58.6 cm) tall.
The colour is still vivid. It is small enough to meet eye to eye.
The sculpture also carries a photographic history. It appeared in a portrait of Hepworth taken by Lee Miller, according to the Yorkshire Post. That image has helped link the carving to Hepworth at work in the years after the Second World War.
What makes this stand out for a first-time sale-goer is the scale of the night. Christie's October evening sale will offer 39 works in total. Together they carry a combined low estimate of US$23.38 million and a high estimate of US$35.61 million, as reported by Heni.
The Hepworth is the top lot by value. Its low estimate alone accounts for a large share of the night.
Bidding starts in London on 21 October. The price on the night will include fees on top of the hammer price, the final bid called by the auctioneer.
