London based auction house Christie’s International PLC said that in the first half of the year, it sold £2.9 billion ($4.5 billion) of art, an increase of 8% from the same period last year. However, Christie’s old master paintings, 19th century European paintings, Russian art, and luxury goods are struggling with diminishing sales growth. “Sellers of blue-chip artworks are getting choosier about where and when they put their pieces up for sale and for how much,” explained Christie’s global chief operating chief, Stephen Brooks. Additionally, a large number of Christie’s clients from the first half of the year were bidding for the first time, a coping strategy is “to find artworks that appeal to novice and seasoned bidders alike,” said Mr. Brooks.
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