Christie's

It’s been a memorable year in the art world, not for what happened, but for who left.

Loic Gouzer will step down as co-chairman of postwar and contemporary art at the end of the year.

Auction houses are still getting high prices for works from the historic canon, but demand isn’t what it once was.

A letter from Albert Einstein that discussed God and religion was sold for far more than the presale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.

A letter in which Einstein called the word God “the expression of and product of human weakness” is expected to fetch $1 million at auction.

Sales have slowed in the face of new political realities, including Western sanctions on Moscow. But wealthy buyers continue to create surprises.

As competition for goods and customers increases, exhibitions by contemporary art jewelry designers are proliferating.

A blockbuster week of sales backed by third-party guarantees reassures the art world that the market is humming, if not booming.

The trend toward broadening tastes at auction picked up steam at Christie’s with the Hockney and new highs for works by two African-American artists.

In three auctions, there were some formidable prices, though eyebrows were raised at a number of intimidating estimates. And there were failures.