Christie's Brussels
Roland de Lathuy
rdelathuy@christies.com
Tel: +32 (0) 2 289 1339
Fax: +32 (0) 2 513 3279
DETAILS:
Founded twenty two years after its "rival", Sotheby´s, Christie’s was founded in 1766, by James Christie, an Englishman. Now owned by Francois Pinault, Christie’s is now a multinational multi-product auctioneer, with revenues in excess of $ 2 Billion.
In 1990, Christie’s set the world record for a painting, with the sale of Vincent Van Gogh´s Portrait of Dr. Gachet, sold for $82.5 Million.
Also, a seller of coins, books and security systems, Christie’s has recently been involved in illegal price-setting with its so-called rival, Sotheby’s. Whether this traditional auctioneer will ever recover its prestige, remains to be seen.