Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s, a publicly traded multinational art business, was founded in March 1744 by the London bookseller Samuel Baker. Through the auction and private sale processes, Sotheby’s connects buyers and sellers in more than 70 categories, including fine art, high-end jewelry, decorative art, and real estate. Auctions are conducted in eight different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong, and Paris. Sotheby’s instituted a BidNow program that allows potential buyers to view live online auctions and place bids from anywhere in the world in real time. Additionally, Sotheby’s is the world’s only full-service art financing company, providing loans secured by works of art through its finance segment. In March 1744, Sotheby’s held its first auction, selling the library of Sir John Stanley. Sotheby’s was also the ...