Christie’s has significantly expanded its online-only sale offerings across numerous collecting categories, including new themed sales of contemporary art.

Among the sales launching globally across the company in April and May are Andy Warhol: Better Days, a fundraising auction to help provide emergency relief to artists throughout the US and HANDPICKED: 100 Works Selected by the Saatchi Gallery.

Going forward, Christie’s will open a new batch of online-only sales for bidding on a weekly basis, with each timed auction ranging from 14 to 21 days. The number of sales planned for the second quarter will continue to grow, leveraging the remote sale administration capabilities of Christie’s teams in New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Newly scheduled sales span 20th Century Art, Asian Art, Decorative Arts, Photography, Science and Natural History, as well as Jewels, Watches, and Handbags.

Each online sale is accessible from a computer, tablet or mobile phone 24 hours a day, and participating bidders can receive sale updates via email, text or the free Christie’s app. All payment is by credit card, and fast registration is available remotely.

Christie’s online auctions routinely produce exceptional results and reach a broad global audience. In 2019, Christies.com attracted over 13.3 million visitors worldwide and 41% of new buyers came in through online sales, said the auction house.

Jennifer Zatorski, President, Christie’s Americas, commented: “Following our planned move to reduce our printed materials by at least 50% and to increase our investment in digital-first initiatives, Christie’s is now accelerating the development of new enhancements that support our private and online-only sales channels. Our sustained commitment over the last decade to proprietary technology allows us to lead the field in integrated digital capabilities.”

Dirk Boll, President, Christie’s EMEA, said: “Alongside the existing calendar of sales announced earlier last week, we have more than tripled our schedule of online-only sales globally for April and May. This includes newly-created sales from long-standing partnerships with the Warhol Foundation and Saatchi Gallery, as well as the conversion of select sales from the traditional saleroom format to online-only offerings.”

Francis Belin, President, Christie’s Asia Pacific, added: “Online sales remain a powerful way for Christie’s to engage Asian clients, with the channel accounting for the largest share of new buyers from the region in 2019. As we continue to innovate and expand our digital offerings across collecting categories, we look forward to announcing additional initiatives soon”.

Andy Warhol: Better Days is an online-only sale held in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts featuring original photography showcasing Warhol’s ability to capture the beauty of ordinary life. Proceeds from the sale will support the foundation’s effort to provide emergency relief to artists throughout the US. The sale will be open for bidding from April 28 to May 6 and is now open for browsing.

Featuring 60 unique photographs, the works were chosen for their ability to transport the viewer to better days, underscoring the splendour of the outdoors and the simple pleasures associated with human interaction. The works were carefully selected by Michael Dayton Hermann, Director of Licensing, Marketing and Sales at the Warhol Foundation in coordination with Christie’s.