Interning in the Old Masters Department of
Christie's Auction House, London.
I have just finished an Easter internship at Christie's, London and thought I’d share a little bit
about my experience for anyone interested in the Art World. Christie's is currently the world’s largest
fine arts auction house with astoundingly impressive sales of more that $3.5billion in the first half
of last year. This is the highest total that has ever been achieved in the
history of the Art Market. I was working at their main headquarters on King
Street, London, where James Christie began in 1766. Christie's is owned by the
holding company of Francois-Henri Pinault whose collection at Punta della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi I incidentally just visited and shared
photographs of in Venice! What makes Christie's auctions so enthralling is that they
not only sell art, but an eclectic range of jewelry, clocks, silver,
manuscripts, furniture, carpets, photographs and wine. As an intern it was fascinating, not only
being based in the Old Master’s department, but also sharing a building with
such a diverse variety of departments, which I was completely unfamiliar with from Japanese Art to Antiquities. As I
was sent on missions around the building, it was always amazing you could pop
your head into a department and feel as if you’d been swept to another
continent.
On
a daily basis, I was immensely grateful to never be left idle - rare for an internship! I really loved working my way through endless lists of truly stimulating tasks - I never had to check
the clock! Realising I signed a confidentiality agreement before starting I'll have to be vague, but I'll be as descriptive as possible! Thankfully my experience at Sotheby’s, Paris last summer made me
quick to learn and so I could help with more challenging missions than boiling
the kettle! At Sotheby's I also held the objects in auction, which was a brilliant way of getting more familiar with the Art itself and understanding how people react to the object itself. There was never a dull moment, especially when I was given a variety of literature
and past sale checks to make on paintings that were coming in for auction. It was wonderfully satisfying deciphering little notes in margins from years ago - real detective work. These investigations also led me on digs through Artnet,
Lotfinder and the Old Masters library’s collections of books. My French fluency was invaluable when working through the easier Romance languages, but I struggled pouring over the rather baffling Netherlandish and Germanic languages whilst searching for references to the my paintings. Some afternoons i'd also be sent into the depths of King Street's basements to a rather charming little
vault where the archives for the main auction houses were kept to search for any information on the past
sale prices. I was in awe at how in depth the department’s research was into
every item they sell. For me, the grand prize was being sent out into London on foot on errands to a
publishing house or museum to do more research. My favourite of which
were the literature checks I did in the Victoria and Albert museum’s majestic library,
where I perched amongst spellbound academics pouring over their ancient manuscripts. For future reference I would highly recommend the Victoria & Albert if you need a secluded revision
spot!
By
the end of my time at Christies, I was so thankful to have had the opportunity to learn a huge
amount about what career routes can be taken through the Art World. In comparison to
Sotheby’s, Paris the atmosphere in London feels more corporate, which is to be expected
from the headquarters. However, there is something sensational about being able
to take a stroll down the office stairs and walk into one of London’s best renowned
galleries to see the highlights of their sales. The first morning before leaving the flat I read about the extraordinary sale of Jeff Koon’s
train in the newspaper and incidentally it was the first thing I saw when I walked
into the Duke Street Gallery at work. I also relished the chance to study the above Francis Bacon portrait, 'Portrait
of George Dyer Talking’ (1966), which had just sold for an alarmingly high £42m! But, in all honesty, despite
the fact that I loved the challenges I faced in my investigative tasks, it has
made me think about whether there is room for creativity and imagination in
such a successful, fast-moving business. It has led me to explore the possibility of eventually working at some
smaller, more innovative auction houses like Paddle8 in New York, where the
online sales platform means it’s a more intimate office with more opportunities for the
sharing of ideas and inspiration. However, there is no doubt that Christies is a good place to
start, it is the best education you can have ahead of diving into the Art world! Yes, at times I’d feel as if I was developing too close a friendship with the
photocopier, but then I would be spontaneously swept down to the Old Master’s
warehouse to examine a Bruegel close enough to touch and I’d been
reminded of why I was there - it is simply magical, a real privilege to work so closely with true
masterpieces.
