Knowra Sotheby's Sotheby's Sotheby's is an international auction house founded in London in 1744. It sells fine art, antiques, luxury goods, and collectibles through auctions and private sales.
Auction : A sale in which competing bids determine which buyer acquires an item and at what price. Sotheby's conducts auctions where bidders compete for works and collectibles.
Samuel Baker : An English bookseller who founded the business that became Sotheby's in 1744. Baker established the London book-auction business at Sotheby's origin.
Art market : The network through which artworks are produced, bought, sold, and valued. Sotheby's is a major intermediary in the international art market.
Christie's : An international auction house founded in London in 1766. Christie's competes with Sotheby's for consignments, buyers, and record-setting sales.
English auction : An auction in which bids rise until no higher offer is made. This ascending-bid format is familiar at Sotheby's live sales.
London book trade : The network of booksellers, printers, publishers, and auctioneers operating in London. Sotheby's began within this trade as a bookselling and auction business.
Fine art auction : A public sale of artworks, often organized by artist, period, or medium. Fine-art auctions are among Sotheby's most visible sales.
Phillips : An international auction house founded in London in 1796, known for modern and contemporary art and design. Phillips competes in overlapping art and design markets but has a different scale and focus.
Auction estimate : A predicted sale-price range published before an auction. Sotheby's estimates guide bidding expectations without guaranteeing a sale price.
Georgian era : The period of British history associated with the reigns of the first four King Georges, from 1714 to 1830. Sotheby's was founded in London during the Georgian era.
Show all 21