Page History

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Going once: A packed Christies sale room looks on as telephone bidders vie for the most important (and the largest) of Monet's Waterlilies, sold at Christie's, London for an astonishing £40.1 million on June 24, 2008, setting a record price for the artist and a record for any Impressionist painting. Damien Hirst: Rich Artist Gets Richer  http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1774353335_1839008,00.html

DAY 10 Today is Thursday, January 12^th, and we are examining the role of the auctions in the art market. In 2012, Christie's will be 250 years old.

How have the bidding room, the buyers, the sellers and the works offered for sale changed in the last 250 years? Just a quick examination of

the two opening images on this page should provide some clues. Read Sarah Thornton's chapter on "the Auction." Choose a recent sale of fine

art at a noted American or European auction house (or their subsidiaries in Asia or the Middle East) – and discuss its significance with regards

to some of the points that Thornton raises about auctions and the players involved. Day 10 Today is Wednesday, June 14 and we are taking a close look at the role of auctions in the art market. Read about auction room psychology from the perspective of the auctioneer as well as collectors and dealers.

Readings

Read the following excerpt on "the Auction" from "Seven Days in the Art World" by Sarah Thornton (New York: W.W. Norton, 2008).

Thornton_Auction.pdf

Watch Christie's' Christopher Burge in action selling an Andy Warhol large Campbell's Soup Can, silkscreen, 1962 for $23.8M (including buyer's premium):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boaFiyICN0w&feature=related

Further  
 Further Reading "Show me the Monet... Impressionist's water lilies go for record £40m"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1029279/Show-Monet--Impressionists-water-lilies-record-40m.html#ixzz1OhUihNNS
 

Individual Contributions

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Consider & comment:
What did you think of today's readings and wiki features? What issues if any did they raise for you? How did the audio visual material provided support your understanding of this topic? Comment on your classmates' posts. Leave your comments in the box below Please use this space to respond to your classmates' work and to engage in lively discussions on the day's topic. Keep your comments concise and conversational by responding to others, rebutting or supporting their ideas. Use the comment box below for these observations.