Guillaume Cerutti,
Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s:

“Our results in the first half of 2022 have been remarkably strong, with many memorable moments like the sales of Warhol’s Marilyn and of the Bass collection in New York, and of the Givenchy collection in Paris. These results have been achieved in a challenging economic and political environment, partly thanks to the natural resilience of the art market and partly thanks to the transformation of Christie’s business model over the last years. We have accelerated our technological innovations and diversified the range of services for our clients (live and digital auction, private sales, art financing) to allow them to take advantage of a growing demand for art and luxury. In the second half, our strategy will be to continue to present the best objects and the best collections.” 

Key take-aways from H1 2022:

Christie’s total sales for H1 2022 surpass H1 2021 total  (+34% in GBP/ +18% in USD)

Christie’s total sales for H1 2022 establish best performance since 2015 (surpassing H1 2018, when Christie’s sold the Rockefeller collection)

The most valuable art work at auction in H1 was sold by Christie’s: Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn for $195 M, the most expensive 20^th Century artwork ever sold

Remarkable results for major collections: Thomas and Doris Ammann, Anne H. Bass, Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs, Hubert de Givenchy

Superior sell-through rate of 87% across all Christie’s auctions

Strong influx of new and younger clients: 30% of all buyers in H1 are new to Christie’s, and 34% of these new buyers are millennials (up from 31% in 2021):

Christie’s innovative 20/21 sales format brings new, younger, and more diverse artists to the international auction stage, achieving record prices for 21^st Century art

Philanthropic sales raise nearly $440 M in H1 2022, with $13.7 M for aid to Ukrain

Christie’s makes meaningful progress towards global sustainability goals; recognized in our 2^nd Environmental Impact Report

Promising Autumn pipeline, led by Ann & Gordon Getty Collection in New York

Please see the full press release attached.