Online marketplace eBay and international art auction house Sotheby’s have begun a collaboration to create a web platform, allowing viewers to place live bids on art.
Online marketplace eBay and international art auction house Sotheby’s have begun a collaboration to create a web platform, allowing viewers to place live bids on art. It has been created so that purchasing art can become more efficient and reach the international masses. Sotheby’s chief operating officer Bruno Vinciguerra said Sotheby’s hoped to reach “the broadest possible audience around the world” with the move.
In 2013, online bidders comprised 17% of the total lots offered by Sotheby’s, up more than a third then 2012 figures. The auction house hit a record in April 2014 when John James Audubon’s The Birds of America sold for $3.5m online via live auction. Estimated figures predict online art sales to reach $13bn (£7.6bn) by 2020.
The project will begin with live auctions streamed from Sotheby’s New York, which will allow “real-time bidding from anywhere around the world”. There will be 18 categories to start, focusing on jewellery, watches, prints, wine, photographs and 20th century design, which have proved most popular among online buyers.
The move comes just ahead of eBay’s earnings, which are set to be released later today, and as more and more start-ups, such as Artsy, Artspace and Paddle8 allow consumers to buy art on the web. Last year, Amazon announced it would sell works by artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol on its website.
Although there is still not a set date for the service, it is a sign that the art market is once again adapting to technology changes.
John James Audubon – The Birds of America, sold for $3.5m online
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Art de Vivre x Estúdio Campana at COVER Connect New York 2026Photography by Annie Forrest Over three days last month, COVER Connect New York drew industry insiders to The Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion. There, they viewed international rug brands’ latest...
Nordic Nature collection rug Rezas Inbogulve amba, the company behind Denmark’s Garant chain of 65 stores, has acquired the operations of Rezas Oriental & Modern Rugs, expanding its reach to customers in 24 countries. Effective 1 January 2027, the acquisition will...
CALLALUXE™ Rug Jaipur Living Always a hot spot for what's new on the rug radar, High Point Market returns for its autumn edition from 17-20 October this year. Rug brands aplenty appear alongside major furniture companies in this major multi-faceted show which takes...
Inbogulve has acquired Rezas Oriental & Modern Rugs, expanding its international reach and strengthening its position in the made-to-measure rug market.
Discover the rug brands bringing artistic collaborations, traditional influences and contemporary design to Decorex 2026
The 2026 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse features covetable rugs by Momeni, Rug & Kilim and Atelier Fevrier
Amid a turbulent economic climate, COVER Editor Lucy Upward takes a look at how RH is continuing to forge ahead with its capital-intensive business plan
Discover the rug highlights to see at Design Focus/26 at Centre Chelsea Harbour and beyond during the London Design Festival
With the EU’s Digital Product Passport Registry now live, COVER explores what the new system means for rug and textile businesses and the product information companies may soon be required to provide
From new collections at Focus/26 to exhibitions across Chelsea, Shoreditch and Bankside, discover COVER’s rug highlights for London Design Festival 2026.
Decorex returns to Olympia London this October, bringing together more than 280 luxury interior brands, leading designers and makers for four days of new products, ideas and industry connections
After more than 30 years, Nourison Home has moved its corporate headquarters to Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
