Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

A Clutch of Long-Time Christie’s Staffers Leave

June 2, 2016 by Marion Maneker

Christie's PWC 1114 Eve

Given the intense amount of attention devoted to the departures from Sotheby’s this Winter and Spring, it is probably only fair to mention that Christie’s is in the midst of a similar (though smaller so far and from less visible positions) wave of departures as some long-standing members of the Post-War and Contemporary art department have left or are expected to leave quite soon.

Although some of the departing specialists and private sales persons are leaving for other auction houses, there’s a growing migration from auction houses to some of the larger dealers.

This would seem to mark a new trend. For the last several years, dealers have been at a disadvantage in the market perhaps because of the intense use of guarantees at the auction houses. These new hires would somewhat reconfirm anecdotal stories of a reinvigorated private market even as the auction market has contracted in volume.

This isn’t the first wave of departures from Christie’s which quietly shed staff all of 2015. And the timing, right after the May sales, can be seen as a function of the auction calendar. Nonetheless, the gradual evolution of the auction business continues. Meanwhile, the pendulum swing between public and private markets for art may also be well underway.

More from Art Market Monitor

  • How Sotheby’s Saved On CompensationHow Sotheby’s Saved On Compensation
  • A Single (Russian?) (Contemporary?) Buyer Took 78% of Christie’s Old Master Evening Sale’s ValueA Single (Russian?) (Contemporary?) Buyer Took 78% of Christie’s Old Master Evening Sale’s Value
  • Malaysian Art Market Has ‘Grown More in Last 2 Years Than Previous 20’
  • Steve Martin’s Gift to Heffel, Canadian Auction House to Offer 3 Lawren Harris Works in NovemberSteve Martin’s Gift to Heffel, Canadian Auction House to Offer 3 Lawren Harris Works in November
  • When Charity Begins in the Auction HouseWhen Charity Begins in the Auction House
  • Explaining Jeff KoonsExplaining Jeff Koons

Filed Under: General

About Marion Maneker

LiveArt

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor
 

Loading Comments...