Auction houses

Art marketpreview

From a Niki de Saint Phalle fountain to a splashy David Hockney print: our pick of the highlights from September's sales

Plus, a Pre-Raphaelite treasure, an iconic James Bond poster and a set of nine intricately inlaid panels

Joseph Hotung's vast collection heads to auction, including Degas's wedding gift portrait to Eugène Manet and Berthe Morisot

Sotheby's will offer Chinese antiquities and Impressionist portraits amassed by the scion of one of Hong Kong's richest families

Microsoft mogul Paul Allen’s art collection heads to Christie’s and could be first to hit $1bn

The auction in November includes prized works from Paul Cezanne and Jasper Johns

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae poised to take control of Seoul Auction

According to Korean media, the group is close to finalising a contract to spend around $173m to acquire a majority share in the country’s largest auction house

Art marketanalysis

Influencers and antiques? How a new generation is transforming the market

In a post-Covid world, tech-savvy collectors continue to disrupt the old model of in-person trading

Christie’s launches venture capital fund for art tech startups with a focus on NFTs

Move follows concerted drive by the auction house to gain ground in the blockchain and fintech domains

'This market will not turn quickly': Christie's, confident amid fears of a coming recession, reports $4.1bn in sales in the first half of 2022

The auction house’s quick reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic has positioned it well to survive any approaching economic headwinds, executives claim

Art marketanalysis

Auction houses say the art market is booming. But what lurks beneath these shiny numbers?

Despite what hyperbolic marketing might suggest, sales of 20th-century titans are failing to reach expected price points

Banking on the Monets: Christie’s London to Paris relay auctions bring in a solid £203.9m

There were few fireworks in the three-part sale as the froth comes off the top of the market

Bonhams expands again with purchase of leading French auction house Cornette de Saint Cyr

Chief executive says latest acquisition is part of his strategy to stay local while going global

NFT apostle Noah Davis leaves Christie’s for CryptoPunks

Davis helped usher NFTs into the mainstream as Christie’s head of digital sales, and has vowed to keep the Punks pure

Sale of William Barak works breaches 'Aboriginal cultural lore', says Australian Wurundjeri elder

The Wurundjeri Corporation hopes to crowdfund $175,000 to secure the return of the pieces, which are being sold by the De Pury family at Sotheby’s New York

As market for young artists grows, Sotheby’s turbocharged The Now sale in New York threatens to eclipse its contemporary evening auction

While both back-to-back sales did well, works by artists under 40 were snapped up at a rate not matched by their elders, making seven artist records

Art marketanalysis

Experts fear New York City slashing auction house regulations could erode collector trust and confidence

As the city council cuts auction regulations, the houses say they will not change their practices, but the prospect of more opaque bidding and guarantees may prove irresistible

Art marketanalysis

Nefarious art world players: after Russian freeze out, will Saudi Arabia or China be next?

For decades Russian billionaires were feted for their free spending on the arts. Now, they are officially personae non gratae. But what of the other individuals and regimes with dubious reputations?

New York City removes rules governing auction houses in bid to stimulate business

But firms say they will continue to operate policies and practices that promote transparency

'In a guaranteed market, buyers and sellers crave the unpredictable'

The recent London auctions suggested a market of extremes, with some seeking the safety of guarantees and others speculating on works by young stars on the rise

With a $20m estimate, this Louise Bourgeois spider is the most expensive sculpture offered at auction in Asia

Spider IV will be offered at Sotheby's Hong Kong contemporary evening sale later this month

'I’ve done my duty on spreadsheets': senior staff reshuffles at Christie's and Sotheby's

A number of new appointments are announced today at the auction houses, with a different EMEA president for Christie's and new managing director in the Middle East at Sotheby's

Sotheby’s and Ketterer Kunst among auction houses to ban some Russian buyers

The move comes as the art market steps up its due diligence

Riah Pryor. With additional reporting by Sophia Kishkovsky and Anna Brady

Bonhams continues acquisitions spree with purchase of Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen

The firm bags a second Scandinavian auction house as sector consolidation continues

Bonhams's big buying spree continue with acquisition of US auction house Skinner

Just two months after buying the Nordic firm Bukowskis, the private-equity-owned auction house is bolstering its presence across the Pond

Christie’s Middle East chairman Michael Jeha is stepping down after 23 years at the end of this month

Jeha began his career at the auction house as an intern in the Impressionism department

'How canny auction houses and advisory firms are turning a generation of Amazon shoppers into art collectors'

The middle market, traditionally the art world’s unloved child, offers treats galore

Rubens could become most expensive work of art ever sold in Poland

Portrait of a Lady by the artist and his workshop is expected to sell for up to £4m at DesaUnicum in Warsaw next month