Early European Sculpture & Works of Art

Christie’s is the leading international auction house for European Sculpture & Works of Art, presenting works from the rise of Christianity in the early medieval era to the end of neoclassicism in the 19th century. Our specialists source works in bronze, terracotta, carved wood and marble, enamels, elegant jewellery and metalwork. Christie’s holds the top three world auction record prices in this field, including the bronze Mannerist masterpiece Bacchic Figure by Adriaen de Vries sold to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for just under $28 million (2014). Other notable prices include a bronze group by Ferdinando Tacca from the French Royal collection for over £6,700,000 (2018) and the Beauneveu lions from the tomb of Charles V of France for over £9,300,000, a world record for a medieval work of art at auction (2017). We hold biannual auctions in London, Paris and New York. Masterpieces in this category are featured in The Exceptional and Old Masters Evening sales, where we have consistently achieved new world records, most recently for an unrecorded marble relief by Antonio Lombardo at £3.7 million (2020). To complement our live and online auctions, we offer Private Sales outside of the auction calendar. Past notable sales using this confidential and bespoke service include a bronze oil lamp by Riccio sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and a bust of the Duc de Chaulnes by Antoine Coysevox to the Louvre, Paris. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss buying or selling within this category.