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Aug 30, 2018 · Let’s start with a basic fact: Auctions are public events. Anyone can view what is on sale and choose to participate. When the hammer comes down, the price of an object has been determined by...
- David Rockefeller by Glenn Lowry
In May, more than 1,000 works of art and fine objects...
- The New Generation of Chinese Collectors Shaking up The Art World
Sold at Poly Auction Beijing, "Five Drunken Kings Return on...
- Antique Oddities Target New Collectors
The Curiosity III cover image from the auction brochure...
- David Rockefeller by Glenn Lowry
People also ask
What is an art auction?
When did art auctions start?
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Why are art auctions so important?
An art auction or fine art auction is the sale of art works, in most cases in an auction house. In England this dates from the latter part of the 17th century, when in most cases the names of the auctioneers were suppressed.
- Auctioneer - The MC of the sale. A consummate showman (or woman), oftentimes British at the tonier houses, who is able to use both humor and high drama to wheedle remarkable prices from even reluctant bidders.
- Hammer - This is the auctioneer's Excalibur, wielded as a cross between a conductor's baton and a judge's gavel, and when it comes down—sometimes with a light tap, other times with a plangent thunk—it indicates a sale.
- Auction Block - The podium behind which the auctioneer stands, and frequently the object of the hammer's thwack. When an artwork goes up for auction it is said to "go on the block," though in reality the work is displayed by white-gloved handlers who strut out behind the auctioneer or on a screen.
- Paddle - The snooty cousin of the ping pong paddle, these numbered instruments can be used to telegraph bids too—though many high-flying buyers opt for a more discreet approach, signaling the auctioneer with a prearranged system of signs.
Nov 22, 2019 · What is an art auction? An art auction is the sale of art led by an auctioneer, most commonly held in auction houses such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s, which have different locations around the world.
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May 18, 2016 · How did the art auctions business become a multi-billion-dollar industry? The first film in a series about the art market explores this question, leading viewers through the complex history of auctions, with specific attention to the last 20 years.
Although deeply rooted in tradition, the art auction model is progressively adapting to the 21st-century general digital direction; we retrace its history, from its ancient origins to glamorous developments in modern times and the recent online breakthrough.
Jan 7, 2021 · Though greatly altered in both form and frequency compared to years past, auctions have maintained their proportionate importance to the art market at large, with auction houses around the world engaging in a wide variety of online, in-person, and hybrid sales to keep collectors actively bidding.
