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Who holds the record for the most expensive work of art to go under the hammer, rather than to be sold privately?
An art auction or fine art auction is the sale of art works, in most cases in an auction house.
In England this dates from the latter part of the 17th century, when in most cases the names of the auctioneers were suppressed. In June 1693, John Evelyn mentions a "great auction of pictures (Lord Melfort's) in the Banqueting House, Whitehall", and the practice is frequently referred to by other contemporary and later writers.
Normally, an auction catalog, that lists the art works to be sold, is written and made available well before the auction date.
Some of the best known auction houses are Christie's and Sotheby's. The oldest auction house is Stockholm Auction House (Stockholms Auktionsverk). It was established in Sweden in 1674.
The Top Luxury Auction Houses
- Christie's: Auctions & Private Sales - christies.com
Christie’s is built on a fundamental truth: that the experience of owning beautiful and special objects is an important part of people’s personal and cultural life. Founded in 18th Century London, today we are a global art business. We have salerooms located in major cultural cities around the world and a digital platform that invites an expanding network of people to participate in what we do — and to enjoy the art. - Sotheby's: Fine Art Auctions & Private Sales for Contemporary - sothebys.com
Sotheby’s reaches every point of the worldwide art market, including places like New York, Paris, Hong Kong and Doha that we first opened to international participation. With 90 locations in 40 countries, 9 salerooms around the world and private sales galleries in New York, Hong Kong and London, Sotheby’s conducts some 250 auctions a year in more than 70 categories. Our digital innovations allow our clients to connect with us any time, from any place, on any device. - China Guardian: Fine Chinese painting and porcelain collection - english.cguardian.com
Founded in May 1993, China Guardian is the premier auction house that specializes in Chinese antiques and art, offering annual spring and autumn sales and quarterly auctions. Headquartered in Beijing, China Guardian also operates in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and North America. In October 2012, China Guardian (Hong Kong) International Auction Co. Ltd held its first auction in Hong Kong, making it the most vital step in the history of Chinese art auctions. - Heritage Auctions: America's Auction House - ha.com
Heritage Auctions is the world’s largest collectibles house. Pretty impressive for a company born in 1976. Based in Dallas, Texas, it specializes in U.S. and world coins, Western art, vintage comic books and comic art, jewelry and watches, rare books and manuscripts, Civil War memorabilia, space memorabilia, and much more. - Poly International Auction Company - en.polypm.com.cn
Beijing Poly International Auction is a leading auction house in China. As a state -dominated shareholding company, founded in July 2005,it is a subsidiary to China Poly Culture Group which got listed on March 6,2014 in Hong Kong (Poly Culture 3636·HK).As of 2016 spring sales, Poly Auction tops first in transaction volume for 17th times consecutively within home. - Phillips de Pury & Company - phillips.com
Headquartered in New York and London, with offices throughout the world, Phillips conducts sales in a select number of categories: Contemporary Art, Photographs, Editions, Design, Watches and Jewelry. Additionally, our core art business includes special exhibitions, private sales, advising private estates and corporate clients, museum and arts sponsorships, and consulting.