Christie's First Auction

Dec 5, 2024

Discover the fascinating origins of Christie's auction house, starting with James Christie's groundbreaking sale in 1766. Explore how his innovative techniques transformed public auctions and attracted aristocratic clientele. Dive into the colorful characters of 18th century London who were part of his inner circle. Uncover the intriguing psychology of bidding and the theatrical nature of the auction experience. Plus, find out the price tag for a two-headed taxidermied lamb!

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

The Beginnings of Christie's: Auctions for Aspirational Collectors

02:59 • 2min

The Evolution of Christie's Auction House

05:19 • 3min

The Charismatic Art Auctioneer: Transforming Perception

08:27 • 2min

The Eccentric Antiques of Christie's Auction House

10:27 • 2min

Rerun: James Christie held his first auction on 5th December, 1766 - billed as a sale of “genuine household furniture, jewels, plate, firearms, china and a large quantity of madeira and high flavoured claret” belonging to a “Noble Personage (deceased)”.

His auction-house, Christie’s, went on to become one of the world’s leading dealers of fine art. But it took Christie many years to exploit this opportunity, which he accomplished partly by leveraging well-connected friends. His milieu included Richard Tattersall, Thomas Chipperfield, Thomas Gainsborough, Horace Walpole, Joshua Reynolds and David Garrick - a ‘Who’s Who’ of 18th century London once known as ‘Christie's Fraternity of Godparents’.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Christie innovated public viewings, product placement and sales technique; connect the dots between the French Revolution and Christie’s biggest successes; and reveal how much it costs to buy a two-headed taxidermied lamb…