Christie’s to limit auctions in the Netherlands to paintings only

Global auction house Christie’s on Tuesday announced it will auction only paintings from its Amsterdam location and will reduce the number of auctions each year from 20 to seven.


Christie’s Nederland director Jop Uddens would not say how many jobs will go because he is still talking to staff, reports the NRC.
Last year, Christie’s Nederland had a record turnover of €65m, a 28% increase on 2011. It accounts for 4% of global annual turnover, which in 2011 was €4.35bn in art and antiques.
A statement from the London headquarters says the change is part of a long-term global strategy.
Forty years
According to Ubbens and London-based Matthew Paton, Christie’s will stay in Amsterdam, where it has operated for 40 years. ‘Our Dutch clients remain crucial to our worldwide activities,’ Paton told the NRC.
Insiders told the paper the auction house will retain just two departments: one for old masters and impressionists, the other for post-war and contemporary paintings.
The other global auction house, Sotheby’s, stopped all auctions in the Netherlands in the summer of 2011 and now just has a small collection office.

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