19th Century European Art

Christie’s 19th Century European Art department holds auctions in London, New York and Paris, offering important works from the diverse movements of this revolutionary era. The category encompasses nearly 90,000 artists, including those from the Symbolist, Orientalist, Realist, Scandinavian and Academic schools, as well as the Barbizon painters and the chroniclers of the elegant Belle Époque.

Christie’s holds world auction records for the most significant artists in this category — including Vilhelm Hammershøi, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Franz von Stuck, Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Gericault, Gustave Courbet, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and William Bouguereau, among others.

Our international team of experts are based across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia and are always available for free and confidential valuations. We also have a dedicated Private Sales team offering a discrete, flexible outlet for those looking to buy and sell. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information about buying and selling 19th Century European Art.

The image depicts a serene, sunlit view of a historic Venetian dockside showing people strolling and laborers with barrels, against a backdrop of iconic buildings and boats.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Venise, vue du Quai des Esclavons sold at Christie’s for $5,9,009,844

Upcoming auctions

VIEW PAST AUCTIONS

2 Jun
Live
Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings
New York
30 Jun
Live
Old Masters Evening Sale
London
1 Jul
Live
Old Masters to Modern Day Sale: Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture
London

Old Masters and 19th Century P auction at Christies

2 Jun

Live

Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings

New York

Old Masters Evening Sale auction at Christies

30 Jun

Live

Old Masters Evening Sale

London

Old Masters to Modern Day Sale auction at Christies

1 Jul

Live

Old Masters to Modern Day Sale: Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture

London

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Joaquin Sorolla, Llegada de las barcas sold at Christie’s for £437,000

Contact us

From free valuations to market advice, our specialists are here to answer your questions.

Alastair Plumb
Senior Specialist, Head of Sale, European Art
+44 (0) 20 7752 3298
aplumb@christies.com
London
Alastair is responsible for appraising and promoting European paintings and developing top client relationships throughout Europe, with a particular emphasis on Scandinavia and the Nordic regions. Alastair has a wealth of knowledge in this arena and has been involved with record breaking results for Scandinavian artists such as Vilhelm Hammershøi and Akseli Gallen-Kallela.

Alastair has established an extensive international network of collectors and museum curators. He has negotiated many private sales within this category. Alastair works closely with the Christie’s international team, having sourced business for auctions in London, Paris, Amsterdam and New York.

Previously Head of the British & European Art sales in London since 2018, contributing to the success of the department’s many and varied sales, Alastair began his career at Christies in 2011. He and led the 19th Century European & Orientalist Art auctions in Christie’s South Kensington to their highest results between 2014-2017. He played a significant role in Christie’s Amsterdam auctions in 2017.

Prior to joining Christie’s, Alastair worked in a commercial art gallery exhibiting at Art Fairs throughout the UK. Alastair holds a M.Litt in Theology of Arts and the Imagination from the University of St. Andrews.
Peter Brown
Senior Director, International Specialist
+44 (0) 20 7389 2435
pbrown@christies.com
London
With twenty years’ experience in valuing Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art, Peter Brown has overseen sales which have ensured Christie’s dominance of this market. As head of department, Peter has led a team which has achieved many world auction records for Victorian artists including those for Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Millais, Holman Hunt and Leighton. He was closely involved in securing and selling the Forbes Collection of Victorian Pictures in 2003, which sold for a total of £17 million – the largest ever auction of Victorian art to date, in which 65 auction records were achieved. In July 2013 he co-ordinated an auction of Victorian Pictures that realised £22,201,975 /$33,547,184 /€25,598,878, the highest total ever achieved for the category. The top price was paid for a masterpiece by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S. (1833-1898), Love Among the Ruins, which sold for £14,845,875/$22,432,117/€17,117,294, setting a new world record price for the artist at auction (estimate: £3 – 5 million) and becoming the most expensive Pre-Raphaelite painting ever sold at auction. In June 2000, he discovered an unsigned and previously unidentified work by Sir John Everett Millais. Estimated at £60-80,000, the picture sold for £157,750. (Christie’s, London, 14 June 2000, lot 11). Most recently he helped orchestrate the sale of the Setton Collection in December 2020 which saw many pictures double their pre-sale estimates and achieve world record prices. Peter Brown holds a B.A. from Durham University, and is a graduate of Christie’s Education. He has worked with Christie’s since 1992 and is a Senior Director and International Specialist.
Holly York
Sale Coordinator
+44 (0)20 7389 5192
hyork@christies.com
London
Laura H. Mathis
VP, Specialist, Head of Sale
+1 212 636 2156
LMathis@christies.com
New York
Laura Mathis joined the 19th Century European Art Department in 2015 and has been the New York department’s Head of Sale since 2018. She is a graduate of NYU's Department of Art History and began her career working at Richard L Feigen and Company in New York, one of the city’s premier Old Master and 19th Century galleries. Following this, she received her MA with distinction from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and returned to New York to begin her work at Christie’s. She is responsible for sourcing, cataloguing and promoting pictures for the department’s bi-annual sales and works closely with Christie’s international department on sales at other sale sites as well. Laura has a particular academic interest in Scandinavian, Symbolist, and Art Nouveau painting.
Sophie Bremers
Specialist
+31 (0)20 575 59 66
sbremers@christies.com
Amsterdam
Sophie Bremers is a director of the 19th Century Art in Amsterdam. After receiving her degree in History of Art at the University of Leiden Sophie made her debut in the auction world in 2005 at the Old Master Paintings department at Sotheby’s. In 2008 she joined Christie’s at the Old Masters & 19th Century Art department. Sophie has a broad range of interests across the category with a focus on Dutch 19th Century Art. Furthermore Sophie is the General Manager for the Amsterdam office. Since 2009, Sophie is an auctioneer and conducting sales for Christie’s nationally and internationally as well as regularly auctioneering for Charity sales. Sophie is responsible for sourcing, valuating and promoting pictures and works closely with Christie’s international department on sales at other sale sites. Her interest in developing business opportunities is not limited to her own field and involves her with multiple fine art categories and sales. Along with her native Dutch, Sophie speaks English and German.
Georgina Hilton
Head of Classic Art, Asia Pacific
+852 2978 6862
ghilton@christies.com
Hong Kong
Georgina is responsible for developing the market and taste for European Classical Art across Asia. Prior to moving to Hong Kong in 2019, Georgina was in the Old Master Paintings department in London. She is also a global Christie’s Auctioneer, taking flagship sales in Hong Kong, New York and London.
Melody Lin
Associate Vice President, Senior Representative Classic Art Group, Asia Pacific
+852 2978 6850
melodylin@christies.com
Hong Kong
Melody is responsible for expanding the market and interest of Western Classical Art in Asia, focusing on the International highlights tour and educational panels in Hong Kong, Taipei and mainland China. She joined Christie’s through the Graduate Trainee Program in 2018, and officially joined Classic Art Group in 2019. Melody was involved in number of major sales such as the Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona, Leonardo da Vinci The Head of a Bear, and rare manuscripts by Isaac Newton.