Sotheby’s Bidding for Class
Sotheby’s Bidding for Class by Robert Lacey, published by Little, Brown in 1998, delves into the rich history of the Sotheby’s auction house, tracing its origins back to 1744. This 1st edition, comprising 354 pages, provides an insightful overview of how economic challenges in the 19th century prompted aristocrats to sell their treasures, laying the groundwork for the modern art market.
Readers will find a detailed exploration of the intense rivalry between Sotheby’s and Christie’s, particularly during the early 20th century, as they competed for iconic works by artists such as Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet. The book also highlights the dramatic art market boom of the 1980s, exemplified by the record-breaking sale of Van Gogh’s Irises for $53.9 million, while addressing the lasting impacts of inflation on the art sales landscape. This examination of art sales and auctioneering, set against the backdrop of social history in England, offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of the art market through the centuries.
Official synopsis Publisher
This volume explores the history of Sotheby’s auction house, tracing its beginnings back to 1744. It was in the latter half of the 19th century, when economic instability forced the aristocrats to sell off many of their treasures, that Sotheby’s began to lay the foundations of the modern art market. The Sotheby’s-Christie’s rivalry intensified in the early-1900s and they have been battling it out ever since over the likes of Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet. Lacey takes the reader through the unprecedented boom of the 1980s, when Van Gogh’s Irises went for $53.9 million, and examines the catastrophic effects of an inflation still being felt today.
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