Cataloguer – European Art and Sculpture

Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments or in our more Operational focused teams we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this over 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing constant innovation whilst not forgetting our age old values; Respect, Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement & Innovation. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is constantly inspiring to work with industry leaders across all segments of the business.

The Role

The Cataloguer position contributes to the preparation of proposals for sale, the production of all auction catalogues, and property inspection for European Art and Sculpture. Responsibilities include liaising with the Proposals department for the preparation of sale proposals, processing the consigned works of art for sale, including research, catalogue entry writing and proofing, and drafting condition reports for review; coordination of photography, and varying duties as dictated by department size and frequency of sales.

Specific duties & responsibilities will include but are not limited to

• Research property for bibliography, provenance and exhibition history using libraries, on-line databases, the internet, and outside experts (such as curators, dealers, publishers, etc.).
• Catalogue property for public and private sales using methods listed above in complete and proofed Christie’s format.
• Write and prepare catalogue essays.
• Contact all relevant experts, artists’ estates and/or galleries for authentication and cataloguing verification purposes.
• Flag any authenticity concerns and condition issues in timely manner to appropriate specialist.
• Proof all cataloguing with specialists before submitting final proof to Catalogue Production.
• Prepare property for hilling sessions (meetings to determine value, condition and marketability of property); and amend catalogue sheets after hilling sessions.
• Liaise with Image Editors to ensure the works in the sale are correctly color-edited and all images are passed-for-print prior to submitting final proof to Catalogue Production
• Liaise with Proposals team and assist with drafting Proposals for Sale.
• Send out special interest letters to market each upcoming auction, as assigned.
• Prepare condition reports in the system and forward to clients upon request.
• Prepare Specialist Speaking Points for high-value lots in the sale including auction comparables and a competitive landscape analysis.
• Assist clients in galleries during preview weekend and sale week.
• Maintain department library and research materials.
• Assist with catalogue production where needed.
• Coordinate photography, restoration, copyright approval.
• Serve as primary liaison with outside experts
• Maintain sale images in media library (monitor progress, liaise with photo studio on missing images, deadline constraints).
• Participate in Telephone Bidding with clients during the auction.
• Business Getting
• Assistance with appraisals – liaison between Trust & Estates and departmentOther duties as assigned by Manager.

The Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree in the fine or decorative art category preferred, or equivalent work experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 2 years paid experience in the Arts.
• Knowledge of E-mail, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat software.
• Ability to learn Christie’s systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including superior written and spoken communication.
• Superior client service skills.
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and prioritize for a high-volume sale.
• Strong follow-up skills with attention to detail as well as excellent organization skills.
• Ability to work extended hours during sale season.