Prints & Multiples

With almost two decades experience as a Print Specialist at Christie’s, Murray is a seasoned expert with an expansive knowledge of his field and of the print market. Murray qualified with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhodes University, South Africa, where he trained as a printmaker, before joining Christie’s in 2000 as Head of Prints at Christie’s South Kensington. Murray moved to King Street in 2008, where he co-ordinated several record-breaking sales, including Contemporary Editions: Works from the Paragon Press (2008), Hockney on Paper (2012) and James Ensor Prints: The Mira Jacob Collection (2014). Of the many wonderful prints which have passed through his hands, some of Murray’s highlights include Albrecht Dürer’s Samson Rending the Lion (sold for £434,500 in 2015), Rembrandt’s The Three Trees (sold for £434,500 in 2013), Edward Wadsworth’s Turret ship in dry dock (sold for £114,000 in 2006), Picasso’s Buste de femme d’après Cranach de Jeune £410,500 in 2014) and David Hockney’s Fish and Chip Shop (sold for £18,750 in 2017). Before becoming Head of Department in London in 2016, Murray was the director of Multiplied, a fair hosted by Christie’s devoted to contemporary editions (2010 -2015). Murray travels widely in Europe with a special focus on France, Holland, Spain and Switzerland.

Tim Schmelcher joined Christie's Prints Department in London in 2004 and specializes in Old Master and German Expressionist prints. In his role as International Specialist, Tim oversees Christie’s auctions of Old Master Prints in London, New York and online, which have included the landmark sales Albrecht Dürer – Masterpieces from a Private Collection (New York, January 2013) and Goya – Graphic Masterpieces from a Private Collection (New York, January 2014) and Fifty Prints by Rembrandt van Rijn – A Private English Collection (London, July 2016). With these and many successful various-owner sales since 2007, Tim has helped Christie’s achieve countless record prices for Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya and many other printmakers of the 15th to the 19th century, including the highest price for an old master print at auction: Rembrandt’s Christ presented to the People (‘Ecce Homo’) was sold for GBP 2,65 million in London in 2018.

Other successes include the sale of Edvard Munch’s Young Woman on the Beach for £2,130,000 (London, in March 2013) and some very significant private sales of Modern and Old Master Prints. In April 2018, Tim curated the exhibition Beauties & Beasts – Making and Collecting Art in Germany for Christie’s in Berlin.

Tim speaks German, English and French and holds an M.A. in Art History and American Studies. Based in London, he maintains regular contact with clients and institutions in Europe and in North America.

Alexandra is Head of Sale for the London Prints & Multiples auctions every March and September. With over 25 years’ experience in this field, Alexandra’s knowledge covers all areas, with a particular focus on 20th century editions. Alexandra has overseen many record-breaking single owner/single artist sales including Hockney on Paper (2012) and Works on Paper by Zao Wou Ki (2018). More recently she has co-ordinated highly successful Prints & Multiples sales in King Street, with recent highlights including, Andy Warhol’s Goethe set (sold for £604,800 in 2023), Pablo Picasso’s Buste de femme d’apres Cranach le Jeune (sold for £567,00 in 2023) and a world record price for James Ensor L‘Entrée du Christ à Bruxelles le Mardi Gras en 1889 (sold for £239,400 in 2023).

Alexandra joined Christie’s London in 2009 as Head of Prints, South Kensington, before moving to King Street in early 2016. She began her career at Phillips Auctioneers in 1986 working firstly as a specialist in the field of Early British & Victorian Paintings before moving in 1995, to the Prints & Multiples Department.

In 2019 Alexandra extended her role within Christie’s, to lead the Disability pillar within the newly-formed ED&I committee. She oversees the instigation of new policies around Accessibility in the Workplace and has been both an internal and external panellist giving insight and recommendations on Disability at work.

James Baskerville joined Christie’s in 2014 and is a Specialist with a depth of knowledge spanning from Old Master Prints to Contemporary printmaking. As a valuer and business getter for the London auctions, James travels mainly in the UK, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia and is heavily involved in the Old Master Prints auction held annually between London and New York.

Some of James’s favourite past consignments include the pair of Andy Warhol’s Moonwalk which set a record price for the subject at auction (sold for £341,000, March 2019) and works from the collection of Dr. Heinrich Becker including a rare impression of Edvard Munch’s The Girls on the Bridge (sold for £125,000, September 2017); as well as rare editions sold by Private Sale.

As Head of Sale for Banksy editions at Christie’s, James has a keen interest in contemporary printmaking and has set the record price for a Banksy print with Girl with Balloon - Colour AP (Gold) (sold for £395,250, September 2019) and for STIK, with the deluxe set of Liberty (sold for £200,000, September 2019). James also consigned and curated the online auction Feelings in Colour, a celebration of Howard Hodgkin’s graphic works which set a record price for an editioned print by the artist with the monumental As Time Goes By (Red) (sold for £68,750, April 2019).

He read Art History at University College London, where he gained a Masters degree with distinction in History of Art in 2013 with a thesis on Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Adam and Eve.

Stefano joined Christie’s Prints department in 2017, following a position at the British Museum in the Prints and Drawings Study Room. A native Italian speaker and fluent in English, Stefano travels regularly to Italy and other regions to source works for the London auctions. His interests and knowledge span over six centuries of printmaking, with a special fondness for Renaissance and Mannerist prints.

Together with the international specialist Tim Schmelcher, Stefano curates the Old Master Prints auctions, annual or biannual specialty sales, landmarks for private collectors, connoisseurs, dealers and scholars of this lively field. His involvement as a business getter and cataloguer extends to Modern, Post-War and Contemporary editions.

He holds a Master’s Degree in ‘Economy and Management of Arts and Cultural Activities’ from Università Ca’ Foscari in Venice, gained with full marks and laude.