WITH sales of £5.1 billion Christie’s led the global art market in 2017. This is an increase of 26%. Auction sales were up 38%. Digital sales online totalled £165.6 million and seven of the top works of art sold around the world were sold at Christie’s. This included Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi which smashed the world record for any work of art sold at auction when made $450.3 million.
Increased supply at masterpiece level met continued demand as global auction sales increased 38% to £4.6 billion ($5.9 billion, up 33%). Sales in the Americas increased to £2.5 billion, up 68% ($3.2 billion, up 62%), sales in Asia totalled £582.9 million, up 11% ($754.9 million, up 7%), and sales in Europe and the Middle East totalled £1.5 billion, up 16% ($2 billion, up 11%).