Sotheby's

Sotheby’s have been holding auctions since 1744.  Founded in London, where they moved into salerooms on Bond Street in 1917, Sotheby’s expanded to New York in 1955 and now have salerooms and offices around the world.

Sotheby’s offer specialist sales in over 70 different categories though four major salerooms, six smaller ones and through their online bidding platform BIDnow.


Giacometti chandelier

UK buyers sought for Giacometti bronze chandelier and 18th-century botanical drawings

18 July 2023

A Giacometti chandelier and drawings which helped develop Kew Gardens have been blocked from export in the hope a UK institution will raise funding.

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Virtual letter: What a chatbot told us about the digital art market

17 July 2023

Last month Sotheby’s announced it would be using the Dutch auction format – whereby the price starts high and is reduced until a buyer is found – for some sales of digital art, sparking a flurry of online media coverage. Its new Gen Art Program will start with an auction on July 26.

Michael Sweerts picture

Old Master auction series posts best total since 2017

10 July 2023

The latest Old Master auctions in London posted the highest total for a series in this category in the capital since 2017.

Bonhams

Buyer’s premium now raised at all the major players

10 July 2023

The flagship London summer sales were the first to take place since the major auction houses all raised their buyer’s premiums in the first half of 2023.

Portrait of Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr portrait sets record for a Tudor painting

06 July 2023

A portrait of Katherine Parr once believed to have been destroyed by fire set an auction record for any Tudor painting at Sotheby’s last night.

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Klimt clinches European record

03 July 2023

A Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) portrait that made a record for any work sold at auction in Europe helped lift the latest series of Modern and Contemporary sales in London.

Dame mit Fächer portrait by Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt portrait makes record for any work sold in Europe

28 June 2023

The last portrait painted by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) sold at Sotheby’s in London last night for £74m, a record for any artwork ever sold at an auction in Europe.

Rebecca Solomon picture

Solomon work to stay in UK after two museums step in following auction

26 June 2023

A work by Rebecca Solomon (1832-86) originally offered at Sotheby’s and later blocked from export to the US has been bought by two UK museums.

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The Freddie Mercury Collection: A kind of auction magic

19 June 2023

Queen singer Freddie Mercury’s art and antiques collection is coming up for sale in September.

Dame mit Fächer (Lady with a Fan) by Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt portrait at Sotheby’s could set record for a painting sold in Europe

15 June 2023

One of only a small number of portraits by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) still in private hands will be offered at Sotheby’s in London this summer.

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Pioneering dealer Leloup’s collection up for sale at Sotheby's

12 June 2023

Sotheby’s is to offer the private collection of Hélène Leloup (b.1927), one of the major pioneering dealers in African and Oceanic Art.

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Rare jades with notable provenances come to auction

05 June 2023

Sotheby’s Asian Art sale in Paris on June 15 will include some rare jades with notable provenances.

The Breuer Building

Sotheby’s to move to ‘museum mile’ in New York

02 June 2023

Sotheby’s New York will move its headquarters to the Breuer building, currently occupied by The Frick Collection.

Directors of Adrian Alan

Hires, promotions and relocations – the latest art and antiques news

31 May 2023

From a new boss of Christie’s Asia to a Brighton antiques gallery move, here is a round up of auction house and dealer updates from around the world.

Klimt Selling At Sothebys 2594NE04F

Back down to reality for Modern and Contemporary art sales

22 May 2023

Judging by the overall totals, the latest Modern and Contemporary art auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips in New York were something of a bump back to reality after the last two sales series posted the highest grossing totals on record.

The Codex Sassoon

Auction record for any book as Hebrew bible takes $38.1m at Sotheby’s

18 May 2023

Setting an auction record for any book, manuscript or item of Judaica, a work billed as the ‘earliest and most complete Hebrew bible’ in existence sold for $33.5m (£26.6m) at Sotheby’s New York.

Insel im Attersee by Gustav Klimt

Japanese collector wins battle for Klimt’s lakeside view

17 May 2023

A view of Austria’s Lake Attersee by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) led Sotheby’s latest sale of Modern art in New York.

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The polar market explored

08 May 2023

Now hugely popular, this collecting field actually took many years to get going

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Last of Henry’s six wives and spared death or divorce

01 May 2023

Sotheby’s Coronation Sale ending on May 4 is a cross-category collection of manuscripts, jewellery, artwork and objects relating to the British monarchy

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Dr Wou Kiuan Collection takes a journey through history

01 May 2023

Sotheby’s conducts a timed online sale from May 10-17 titled A Journey Through China’s History: The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection.

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