CHRISTIE’S 2007 GLOBAL ART SALES TOTAL £3.1 BILLION/$6.3 BILLION Christie’s International, the world’s leading art business, today announced 2007 art sales totals of £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion, a 25% increase in £ and 36% increase in $ over 2006 sales.
Books and Manuscripts decreased 15% to £35 million $71 million
Latin American Paintings increased 44% to £30 million $61 million
2008 Global Initiatives
Christie’s begins 2008 with an exciting set of sales and events to delight collectors, including:
• January brings the global relaunch of Christie’s House, Interiors and Interieurs sales under one brand: Interiors (Interieurs in France), presenting London (January 8, 15, 20, 22), Paris (January 30) and New York (January 15-16) clients a retail-oriented destination to outfit their homes and offices with world-class furniture, decorative arts, other home furnishings and works of art. As always, clients elsewhere are able to take advantage of these sales through the convenience of Christie’s LIVE™, the real-time, online bidding service.
• The New York winter season kicks off with Americana Week (January 17-18), during which Christie’s presents Important American Silver; Property from the Estate of Charles H. Carpenter Jr.; Property from the Collection of George and Lesley Schoedinger; and The Collection of Marguerite and Arthur Riordan, Stonington, Connecticut.
• Anticipation builds for Christie’s King Street Evening Sales in February, at which Christie’s will present highly desirable Impressionist and Modern Art (February 4-5) and Post-War and Contemporary Art (February 6-7), including works by Warhol, Prince, Richter and Bacon.
• The renowned contemporary art gallery Haunch of Venison, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Christie’s International, will open its first U.S. space Haunch of Venison New York, in Rockefeller Center during the second half of 2008. Complementing existing gallery spaces in Berlin, London and Zurich, Haunch of Venison New York will further expand the gallery’s outstanding international exhibition programme, presenting major historical shows or rarely exhibited works, as well as providing a platform for emerging artists previously unseen in the U.S.
• Christie’s Great Estates will continue to expand its network of affiliates in 2008, having added 10 new U.S. and 10 new international affiliates in 2007 in markets including Hawaii, Antigua, Switzerland, Mexico and Argentina.
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About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world's leading art business with global auction sales in 2007 that totaled £3.1 billion/$6.3 billion. This marks the highest total in company and in art auction history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 600 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 85 offices in 43 countries and 14 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Hong Kong. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai
