Christies Auction HouseChristies Auction House is one of the world's top art auction houses. In 2008, its auctions and private sales totaled $5.1 billion. Auction categories include jewelry, wine, collectibles and photographs as well as pieces from all of the fine and decorative arts. Location Although based in London, Christie's is located in 32 different countries, with 57 offices and 10 salerooms throughout the world. Christie's offices are found in such diverse parts of the world as Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam, Dubai, New York, London and Hong Kong. Christies offers more than 80 categories of art auctions and more than 450 sales a year. Christie's employs approximately 2000 people worldwide. Prices vary greatly depending on the artwork available and can be as low as $200 or as high as $80 million. The art auction house accepts bids in person, by telephone, online or absentee. Interested buyers can browse upcoming sales online, buy a catalogue with upcoming sale information, or attend a pre-auction viewing. These viewings are usually three to four days prior to the auction and are free of charge. Christie’s History Christie's Auction House was founded by James Christie in London in 1766. However, some reports note that Christie had rented auction houses and conducted sales as early as 1756. Christie's Auction House was a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange between 1973 and 1999. In 1999, it became a private company owned by François Pinault, a Frenchman. Christie's was the first auction house to exhibit art works in Beijing, China in 1995. Christie’s Auction House also has colleges in London and New York for aspiring artists and art historians. The college is called Christie's Education and its aim is to use hands-on experience to promote the study of the visual arts. The college offers Master's, Bachelor's and Certificate programs in subjects such as History of Art, Modern Art, Art Business and Connoisseurship. Christie's educational programs are validated by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. Christie’s Auction House has expanded to include other areas relevant to art and art education. The company has a real estate branch called Great Estates, which was established in 1995 to serve the real estate interests of frequent Christie's clients. Christie's also offers services designed to insure and store art purchased through the auction house. Christie's has gallery spaces available to rent in London, New York and Los Angeles for corporate or private events. Christie's Auction House Return from Christies Auction House Page to Auction Know How - Homepage
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