Research Assistant, Post-War & Contemporary Art

The Company

Christie’s, the world’s largest art business, is an incredibly exciting and 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 while not forgetting our age-old values: Respect, Passionate Expertise, Exceptional Client Service, Teamwork, Integrity, Business Judgement and 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

Christie's is currently accepting applications for full-time Research Assistants for the Post-War and Contemporary Art Department in New York. You will be a member of one of the company’s highest profile departments and be working directly with teams responsible for our highly anticipated sales throughout the year.

Specific duties & responsibilities will include but are not limited to

• Assisting specialists in researching works for upcoming sale. This includes, but is not limited to, provenance and exhibition history research, and undertaking literature checks.
• Supporting the proposal preparation process
• Assisting with installing the galleries for auction previews, which includes compiling and mounting lot cards, and taking installation images for each work
• Attending “hilling” sessions, during which our specialists review works and share their knowledge
• Supporting analysts with client research, Artnet searches, compiling spreadsheets of competitive sales, and catalogue research for object intelligence
• Selecting suitable comparable images for publication, and researching copyright information
• Writing catalogue essays for publication
• General department tasks as assigned by line manager

The Candidate

Could you track down an installation image from a 1956 Museum of Modern Art exhibition? Would you be able to source a scan of a German exhibition catalogue? Would you be able to persuade a photographer to grant us permission to reproduce one of their photographs in our catalogues? These are all tasks that our interns our research assistant do on a daily basis, therefore we are looking for confident, outgoing, hard-working, and intellectually curious self-starters who can thrive in a high-pressure environment. Our most successful candidates are those who truly embrace the experience and are not afraid to take every opportunity that is presented to them. They ask questions and are keen to learn about the entire auction process.

• Additional language skills are desirable, however not mandatory
• Be able to converse with staff and clients in a confident and articulate manner
• Demonstrate a passion for Post-War and Contemporary Art in particular, and the wider arts in general
• Possess strong follow-up skills and attention to detail
• All candidates must be available for the entirety of the assignment (10 months) and should be prepared to work overtime as deadlines demand
• Candidates must be have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree (preferably in art history or related subject), and be able to work full-time
• Be well-organized, with a proven ability to work pro-actively and calmly in a high-pressure professional environment

Christie’s, Inc. is committed to principles of equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, Christie’s Inc. ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants, regardless of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status or liability status for service in the United States Armed Forces.

• Posted salary range does not include discretionary bonus compensation and overtime pay.

Compensation Range

Hourly: $20.00 - $20.00