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.


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Pick of the Week: Samuel Palmer view of Shoreham picks up a record

05 February 2018

The most eye-catching price at the latest series of Old Master and 19th century art sales in New York came at Sotheby’s separately staged auction of drawings from the collection of the late Howard and Saretta Barnet.

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Manhattan mapped out in detail

05 February 2018

Extending from the tip of Manhattan as far north as 42nd Street, this large-scale Map of the City of New York of 1850 identifies by means of symbols and a key the city’s churches, schools, hotels, public buildings, parks, cemeteries and other places of interest.

Dolls' house

Government issues export bar for Georgian dolls’ house in hope of finding UK buyer

03 February 2018

A Georgian baby house or dolls’ house has been barred from export in the hope a buyer in the UK can be found.

Ehrenbreitstein

Government issues export bar for JMW Turner landscape in hope of finding UK buyer

29 January 2018

One of the few large-scale oil paintings by JMW Turner (1775-1851) left in private hands has been barred from export in the hope of finding a buyer in the UK.

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Previews: £30,000 plus

29 January 2018

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

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The US breaks out to the west

29 January 2018

The American West was the theme of a 43-lot, single-owner collection offered as part of the January 17 sale held by Sotheby’s New York.

Adam Shum and Ahmad Qamar of Thread Genius

Sotheby’s buys AI start-up in bid to connect images with buyers

27 January 2018

Sotheby’s have purchased a New York-based artificial intelligence company that specialises in image recognition and ‘recommendation’ technology.

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Unfinished business – Eight works testing the market for ‘incomplete’ Old Masters

25 January 2018

Do unfinished pictures appeal to connoisseurs? On the one hand you can argue that they show the working methods and creative process of the artist. On the other, they could be considered scraps left over by a painter or a remnant of a long-abandoned project that surely few collectors could want?

Titian

The plumber’s Old Master: Three reasons the survival of this Titian coming to auction is remarkable

22 January 2018

Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian, painted ‘Saint Margaret’ with the help of this workshop in around mid-1560s. It depicts Margaret of Antioch, the virgin martyr who escapes from Satan, pictured as a dragon. It is now being offered at Sotheby’s in New York on February 1 with an estimate $2-3m.

Sotheby’s to “vigorously challenge” Russian billionaire over legal action in UK

22 January 2018

Sotheby’s have said they will “vigorously challenge” any attempt by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev to bring a claim against it in the UK.

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Twenty-eight works to wow the drawings world

22 January 2018

An auction series devoted to Old Master paintings, drawings and works of art has long been a feature of the first month of the year in New York for Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

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Pre-Raphaelites on the crest of a second wave

22 January 2018

Paintings by lesser-known Pre-Raphaelites took the honours at the latest Victorian art sales held at Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9%) and Christie’s (25/20/12.5%).

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Bidders go beyond Wonderland

22 January 2018

Carroll rubbed shoulders with Wilde, Rackham, Tolkien and many other children’s works in recent auctions.

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Charity sale is Blakes’ heaven

22 January 2018

Sold as part of a Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9% buyer’s premium) sale to benefit the charity House of Illustration, and in partnership with both the saleroom and Winsor & Newton, was a group of 33 lots gathered together under the heading First Editions Re-Covered.

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Pick of the Week: Second wind for Nelson lots

22 January 2018

Sotheby’s sale of 80 pieces of memorabilia relating to Lord Horatio Nelson featured a return to the saleroom of many lots acquired by the ‘Princely’ vendor in 2005.

HMS Victory flag from the Battle of Trafalgar

Nelson’s flag from HMS Victory hoisted to £297,000 at Sotheby’s

17 January 2018

A large fragment of the Union Jack believed to have flown from HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 drew determined competition at Sotheby’s.

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Nelson memorabilia sails into London

15 January 2018

A collection of remarkable Nelson memorabilia from the Battle of Trafalgar on offer at Sotheby’s includes a large fragment of the Union Jack believed to have flown from HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

Picasso

Five reasons why this Picasso painting at auction is making headlines

15 January 2018

Pablo Picasso’s ‘Femme au béret et à la robe quadrillée’ is to be offered at auction next month, and although it is not unusual for a Picasso to be leading an Impressionist & Modern auction, there are a number of reasons why this portrait is a cut above.

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A host of Henry James highlights at auction

15 January 2018

Presentation copies of The Bostonians and a volume containing the first bookform appearance of The Turn of the Screw were among the highlights of a large Henry James collection offered in almost 50 lots as part of a Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9% buyer’s premium) sale.

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Bartok work sends bidders into rhapsody

15 January 2018

Possibly the first autograph manuscript of a complete work by Bela Bartok ever seen at auction, a working manuscript for the complete score of the original version of his Second Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (BB96) was bid to £250,000 in a music sale held by Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9% buyer’s premium).

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