Christie’s Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen Will Leave the Auction House After 38 Years

On November 9, Jussi will take his final New York auction when he climbs into the rostrum for the 20th Century Evening sale, and will then make his final appearance as an auctioneer in London for the Old Masters Evening sale on December 7.  

Guillaume Cerutti, Christie’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Jussi is a well-loved member of the Christie’s family. We are very grateful for his tremendous contribution to Christie’s, as a respected art specialist, a remarkable business getter and one of our best auctioneers. We wish him the best on beginning this next phase of his career as an independent client advisor.

Jussi Pylkkänen, Global President, commented: “Christie’s is an inspiring place to work and has brought me great happiness across four decades working with the very best specialists in the market, at the very heart of the art world.  I have been privileged to have the opportunity to befriend collectors all over the globe and auctioneer works of art of superb quality in every category in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong.  The art market continues to evolve and the extraordinary influx of buyers at the top of the market now offers me a unique opportunity to share my experience with a new generation of collectors who are keen to buy major works of art both privately and at auction.”

A renowned specialist in 20^th Century Art, with more than 30 years of experience in the field, Jussi was Director of Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Department from 1995 to 2005. He was appointed Global President of Christie’s in 2014, after serving ten years as President of Christie's Europe, Middle East and Russia.

Jussi is perhaps best recognised publicly as one of Christie’s principal auctioneers. In 20 years at the rostrum, he has taken major sales in every category and for many leading charities including UNICEF, The Red Cross, Terrence Higgins Trust and The Art of Wishes. As auctioneer, he sold Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi in 2017 after a fierce 19-minute battle, for a groundbreaking $450.3 million, and followed this historic sale with the auction of the most expensive 20^thCentury painting, Andy Warhol’s iconic Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which achieved $195 million in 2022.  He is also renowned for his work with Christie’s market-leading Collection Sales, serving as auctioneer for the celebrated collections of Elizabeth Taylor (2011), Peggy and David Rockefeller (2018) and Paul G. Allen (2022). The last of these remains the most expensive single-owner collection ever sold at auction at a breathtaking $1.6 billion.

Main Image : Jussi Pylkkänen selling Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn for $195 million at Christie’s New York (May 2022