Conducting⁣ an Art ​Auction: A Long Journey

I met Adrien Meyer, Christie’s global head⁢ of private sales and co-chairman of ​the Impressionist and Modern Art department, on the 25th, a day before ⁣the‍ ’20th/21st Century Evening Auction’ ‌held at The⁤ Henderson, the new building‌ of ‘Christie’s Hong Kong’ on the 26th. As⁤ a ‍member of a global‍ auction house, he defined⁤ art ⁢auctions, which are unfamiliar to the general public, as “conducting an auction is a long journey.”

“At Christie’s, we collect artwork over a period of weeks or months, and the‌ auctioneer has ‌the opportunity ‌to sell the artwork to⁢ customers in ⁤person,​ online or by phone,” he⁢ said. ‌”The auctioneer’s primary job is to generate as much excitement as possible from that audience⁤ and get them to bid on ‌the artwork.”

In ‍addition to the regular auctions that are open ⁣to the public, the auction ⁣house also ⁤conducts‍ private sales, or so-called “private sales.” “Private ‍sales are private, and Christie’s​ professionals approach customers very‌ directly, ⁢confidentially, and offer them an opportunity at a fixed price,” Meyer said. “They are not affected by​ the unexpected consequences that⁤ can occur at auctions, and customers often find these very confidential sales more appealing.”

Meyer, who majored in modern art at the ​prestigious École du Louvre‌ in Paris, France, joined Christie’s in 2004.⁣ What does a good piece of⁣ work look like to him, ‍who has been working ​at an ​auction house for over 20⁤ years? Meyer said, “The aesthetic quality of the composition and whether ‍it ‍meets⁤ the criteria by which the artist of the piece is known are most important,” and emphasized, “The more the composition of the piece matches the artist’s aura and the world of his work, the more likely ​it ​is that the piece will attract more ⁤attention and value.”

He continued, “The freshness of​ a work‍ of art is also ⁢a⁣ very attractive factor for ‍buyers,” and⁣ “The Van Gogh painting being displayed ​this time has greater value ⁤because⁤ it has been owned ​by the same family for ‍30 years and has not been shown to the public.”

Christie’s Hong Kong‌ will hold a ’20th & 21st Century Evening​ Auction’ from 7:00 PM (local time) on this day, featuring Kim Hwan-ki’s full-length painting ‘9-XII-71 #216’ (estimated ⁤at KRW 7.75 billion – KRW ​11.2 billion), which‌ is⁣ being ‍auctioned off for the first time at Christie’s in five years, Claude ​Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’‍ painted⁣ 125 years ⁣ago (estimated at KRW 34.04 billion ⁣- KRW 47.67 billion), and ​Van Gogh’s ‘Boats at Rest’ ​(estimated at⁢ KRW 39.28 billion ‍- KRW 64.7 billion) that has⁢ not been shown to ⁢the public for 30 years.

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