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On Thursday 3rd October, the SFC History of Art students had the privilege of visiting Christie’s in London, to explore the inner workings of one of the world’s most prestigious auction houses.

Our experience began with a tour of the upcoming Impressionist Sale highlights under the kind guidance of Jennifer Duignam, Head of Research for London 20/21 Art. This provided us with an in-depth understanding of the significance and impact of the pieces on display, including paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Berthe Morisot. Following this, we had the privilege of meeting Jemima Terry, a former CLC pupil and Writer and Researcher in the Post-War & Contemporary Art Department at Christie’s. Jemima offered specialised insights into the post-war and contemporary highlights, enriching our understanding of these modern works.

For a quick change of scenery, we took a brief stroll to St. James’s Park to visit Jeff Koons’ monumental sculpture, Balloon Monkey (Blue) (2006–2013). Standing nearly four meters high, the sculpture’s sheer size and dynamic form, in blue mirror-polished stainless steel, left us all in awe.

We then had an incredible treat to go behind the scenes of the auction house to visit the warehouse. We met with modern British art specialists Charlie Campbell-Gray and Pippa Jacomb. They provided us with fascinating insights into pricing and condition reporting. We had the rare opportunity to examine an oil painting by Gwen John under UV light, an essential part of preparing a pre-sale report. As many paintings and sculptures are stored for several years, it was fascinating to observe the silent impacts that aging has on an artwork and the benefits of restoration where possible. Additionally, we explored the ‘verso’, the back of the painting, where stamps and labels revealed important provenance evidence and exhibition history, details that can significantly enhance a painting’s value.

Our day concluded with a series of insightful talks about careers and pathways into Christie’s and the broader art business. This was led by Tara Rastrick, also a former CLC pupil and now the Regional Managing Director for EMEA, who shared her remarkable career journey. We were also introduced to the history of Christie’s, from its founding in 1766 in London by James Christie to its expansion, with salerooms now in major cities such as Hong Kong, Paris, and New York. Christie’s has a truly remarkable legacy, which we discovered during a 'demystifying auctions' discussion led by Ted Sandling from Christie’s Education Programme, which concluded with a competitive game of guessing the value of various high-ticket items.

As many of us are interested in pursuing further education and/or a career in the art industry, Tara, Dominic, and Jemima provided us with a talk and Q and A session on careers at Christie’s, delving into their own traditional and not-so-traditional paths to the auction house. From there, we were exposed to different entry points into Christie’s, ranging from apprenticeships to work experience and internships. As you can imagine, many of us picked up a business card on our way out of the conference room.

Overall, the day offered us a comprehensive view of Christie’s, from its art expertise to its career opportunities, leaving us with a deeper appreciation of the art world and all that it entails.

SFC History of Art Representatives