Sotheby’s launches online day sales of Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art this May
NEW YORK, NY.-Sotheby’s announced two exciting additions to their sale calendar this May: the Contemporary Art Day Auction Online (open for bidding 4 – 14 May) and the Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale Online (open for bidding 4 – 15 May).
Sotheby’s has long been a leader in the Day Sale marketplace – since 2017, their Day Sales of Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art in New York have raised nearly $900 million. More than half of all lots offered across those sales exceeded their high estimates, demonstrating the consistent depth of demand in this segment of the market. The new Online Day Sales will present works of the same quality that have driven the success of their live counterparts, offering a curated selection of works by blue-chip artists across the 20th and 21st centuries.
Sotheby’s sold $250 million of fine art and luxury goods online in 2019, including $80 million achieved across 129 dedicated online auctions. The dedicated online sales in 2020 have been especially robust, having raised $35+ million to-date and climbing daily – with sales spanning Modern and Contemporary African Art, 20th Century Middle Eastern Art, 20th Century Design, and Photographs closing this week alone.
The Online Day Sales will benefit from the debut of their new, immersive digital catalogue, which will be available on sothebys.com beginning mid-April. The ‘digital-first’ design of the enhanced catalogues emphasizes visual storytelling through video, interactive media, and other rich content formats in a way that moves beyond print media. By presenting the objects featured in the sales in a wholly modern way, the digital catalogue encourages deeper engagement with each sale across all collecting categories.
Sotheby’s live Evening and Day auctions of Contemporary Art, Impressionist & Modern Art, and American Art, previously scheduled for May in New York, will be postponed to a later date that will be shared in due course.
Nicole Schloss, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Day Auctions of Contemporary Art in New York, said: “During this unprecedented moment when live auctions are not possible, collectors worldwide have enthusiastically participated in our online sales program, driving results that demonstrate the resilience of the global art market. Through these new Online Day Sales, we are presenting our clients with a unique opportunity to both buy and sell during a major moment in the international auction calendar.”
Max Moore, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Day Auctions of Contemporary Art in New York, said: “Our global clientele has an extensive and demonstrated history of transacting at elevated price points in our live sales, which gives us full confidence in presenting our new Online Day Sales. In 2019 for example, more than half of the thousands of bidders in our Contemporary Art auctions placed their bids online. Sotheby’s has invested heavily in technology to ensure that we have the very best digital tools in the marketplace – including our proprietary online sale platform – which we are using to benefit and support our clients.”
Scott Niichel, Head of Sotheby’s Day Sales of Impressionist & Modern Art in New York, said: “Our new Online Day Sales will be anchored by the same top-quality, exciting selection of works by sought-after artists of the 19th through the 21st centuries that the market has come to expect from our Day Sale program. We are still actively – and responsibly – sourcing for these auctions, and encourage collectors to start a dialogue with us about how we can best meet their needs.”
In addition to the Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale Online, Sotheby’s is adding another online sale of Impressionist & Modern Art to the spring calendar: Journey through France: A Private Collection of Post-Impressionist Paintings Online, opening for bidding on 23 April.
