LONDON/NEW YORK.- Christie’s International Old Master Department announces an annual sales total of £146 million / $264.3 million /€213.2 million in 2006. This builds on the success of 2005 and reaffirms Christie’s position as market leaders in both the Old Master Picture and Old Master Drawing categories, increasing market share against the nearest competitors to 54.5% for the Old Master Category as a whole.

Richard Knight and Nicholas Hall, International Directors of Christie’s Old Master Picture Department: “The success of the December sales caps an exceptional year for the International Old Master department and sees us further strengthen our hold of the market. This year has seen some exceptional highlights at our salerooms across the world from Turner’s View of Venice sold in the New York April auction, Jacques-Louis David’s Portrait of Jean Pierre Delahaye sold in Paris in June, the rediscovered Ludovico Carracci at the London sale in July, Ceruti’s Il bravo; e vecchia contadina sold in Milan this November and the pair of Roman Views by Bernardo Bellotto which were sold in London last week.

We have seen interest from a noticeable number of new international clients, as well as clients known to Christie’s, but new to this category - as interest from the United Kingdom, United States, South America, Europe and Russia ensures the continuing strength in this market. The expertise of our international team, combined with an emphasis on the careful presentation of the sales, attracts this category to a wide, contemporary audience.”

2006 saw a significant number of artist records established at Christie’s Old Master auctions. Including those for Joseph Mallord William Turner, Sandro Botticelli, Ludovico Carracci, Hubert Robert, François Boucher, Sassetta and Fede Galizia, among others.

The top 5 prices realised at Old Master sales at Christie’s in 2006 are as follows:

1. Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio by Joseph Mallord William Turner, R.A. (1775-1851) which sold in New York on 6 April for $35,856,000 / £20,489,143 / € 29,151,219, a world record price for any British painting at auction and a world record price for the artist at auction.

2. Salmacis and Hermaphroditus by Ludovico Carracci (1555-1619) which sold in London on 6 July for £7,400,000 / $13,586,400 / €10,656,000, a world record price for the artist at auction.

3. Rome: The Forum with the Temple of Castor and Pollux; and The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Forum by Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780) which sold in London on 7 December for £6,504,000 / $12,806,376 / €9,599,904.

4. The Madonna and Child by Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli (1445?-1510) which sold in London on 7 December for £3,816,000 / $7,513,704 / €5,632,416, a world record price for the artist at auction.

5. The Punta della Dogana, Venice, the Giudecca and the Redentore beyond by Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) which sold in London on 7 December for £3,760,000 / $7,403,440 / €5,549,760.

Auctions of Important Old Master Pictures for 2007 are scheduled as follows:

19 April 2007 New York
5 July 2007 London
10 October 2007 New York
6 December 2007 London

Mid-season auctions of Old Master Pictures will also take place throughout the year in our salerooms in London, New York, Paris and Milan. See www.christies.com for details.