Christie's projects 2025 Global Sales of $6.2 Billion

Bonnie Brennan, Chief Executive Officer, Christie's:   “The energy has returned to the saleroom, online, and across the market. We've seen renewed confidence worldwide, reflected in these outstanding results. Our selling performance has remained consistently strong throughout the year: a solid first half followed by an even more competitive second half, delivering exceptional, market-leading outcomes for our clients.
Across categories and platforms, 2025 closed on a high note, marking a healthy and successful year for Christie's. These achievements also reflect our ongoing commitment to building a more sustainable and responsible culture throughout our business. I'm proud to lead this company and confident that, with the best team in the industry, we will continue driving progress into 2026.”

Christie's strategy of focusing on exceptional art and objects, with passionate expertise, part of the success that was seen in it's salesrooms around the world:

• London in July - Canaletto's Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day sold for a record-breaking £31.9M ($43.9M)
• Pebble Beach in August - a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione, broke records when it sold for $25.3M, a new record for any car at Gooding Christie's
• Hong Kong in September - Pablo Picasso's Buste de femme sold for $25.4M (HKD$196.7M), re-set the auction record for the artist in Asia
• New York in September – Asian Art Week totalled $46.7M, achieving 259% hammer vs. low estimate and with 28% of buyers being new to Christie's or to the category.
• London in October - 20/21 evening sale total was up 30% on 2024
• Paris in October - Yves Klein's California, (IKB 71), sold for €18.4M ($21.3M) in a series of sales up 16% YoY
• Geneva in November - the Mellon Blue made CHF20.5M (US$25.6M), the highest jewellery lot sold at auction this year in a week of sales up 24% YoY
• New York in November - the 20/21 sale series totalled $964.5M Christie's highest total in three years, led by Mark Rothko's No. 31 (Yellow Stripe), from The Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis which sold for $62.1M
• London in December – The Winter Egg by Fabergé sold for £22.9M ($30.2M), setting a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé.  Rembrandt van Rijn Arnout Tholinx, Inspector (c. 1656) - last offered at Christie's over a hundred years ago – achieved the highest price for an Old Master print at auction selling for £3.1M

Total auction sales were up 8% at $4.7B, of which $234M was from Automobiles through Gooding Christie's, who registered their highest grossing year in the history of the company.  Christie's key performance metrics of overall sell through rate of 88% and our hammer vs. low estimate index at 113% both increased versus the previous year, further evidence that the approach to pricing and sales strategy delivers for their clients.

Christie's sold two of the top three collections this year - Leonard & Louise Riggio: Collected Works which sold for $272M in May and The Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis which made $223M in November. With storytelling at the heart of these critical consignments, Collection sales continue to power the business in all  salerooms. 

Private Sales had a strong year totalling $1.5B, representing 24% contribution to global sales. Significant transactions across all categories were made with 17 works selling privately for $15M+ (up from 13 in 2024). 50% of all Private Sale buyers were new to this channel. In addition, the top three works sold at Christie's this year were sold privately.

Main Image: Adrien Meyer, Global Head-Private Sales & Co-Chairman-Impressionist & Modern Art, sells the top lot of The Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G Ross Weis, Mark Rothko's No. 31 (Yellow Stripe) for $62.1M at Christie's New York, November 2025