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By comparing the images of auctions by Christie's in 1810 and 2008, and Thornton's reading about auctions, it becomes clear that much has changed in the auction world. The auction room appears to be much more organized (assigned seats) and crowded, with less room for movement in its current state than in the past. Much of the art displayed on the walls has been replaced by television monitors and a "scoreboard or currency converter." The buyers and sellers are now less interested in the art itself than its price and desirability as determined by provenance, color, feeling (glum v. happy), content, media, and size. Current buyers are concerned with making a purchase that will bring them a significant return on their investment rather than appreciating the art for is intrinsic value. Another important difference between the auctions of the past and present is the type of work for sale. Before the 1950's, art by living artists was not commonly sold in auctions because, "living artists are perceived as unpredictable and inconvenient." This has changed drastically as much of the art now sold is by living artists and the demand continues to rise.
Here is a link to a Youtube video of the most recent auctions of Latin American Art by Sotheby's and Christie's in New York: http://youtu.be/NxQW2RiuIwM
Here are Tamayo's "Watermelon Slices", Botero's "Ballerina" and Ramos Martinez's "La India del Lago" sold at the Latin American art auction at Sotheby's last November:
