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Antiquity has provided a standard by which all subsequent periods have tended to be judged. The Jenkins Venus was thought during the neoclassical period to be the embodiment of love and beauty, so fundamental to contemporary ideas of art appreciation.

This decoy duck is an exceptional and rare red-breasted merganser hen, one of only six known to have been made by Lothrop Holmes (1821-1899). His shorebird species include yellowlegs, black-bellied plover, with the rarest being only two known examples of the ruddy turnstone. The duck sold for over $850,000 at Christie’s New York, in 2007. A carved and gilded pine spread-wing eagle, 19th century, carved in the half-round with spread wings grasping the shield of the United States with arrows and a laurel wreath. A pieced wool Amish crib quilt, Indiana, late 19th-early 20th century, worked in the Log Cabin pattern in various pink, blue, purple, brown, black, cream, grey, and crimson wools with teal sashing, Joseph's Coat border and black bound edge, with sawtooth and channel quilting. The allegorical figure of Liberty, with her spear and liberty cap was a popular symbol towards the end of the 18th century as nationalistic fervor reached fever pitch and patriotic motifs were widely sought in all aspects of American material culture. This Goddess of Liberty weathervane, by William Henis, of Philadelphia, sold for over $1million at Christie’s New York, in 2006.
Modigliani’s Nu Couché epitomises his style which he constructed from primitive and modern sources creating an abstraction which went to the very essence of his subject. Nu Couché sold for over $26million at Christie’s New York in 2003. This tender image of Marie-Thérèse Gaillard of 1894 is executed in pastel. The sitter was the daughter of a friend and patron of the painter who also acquired works by Renoir, Cicely, and Degas among others. Painted at the same time as the Orangerie friezes, Monet escaped even the restraints of Impressionism to reach a unity with his subject that is intoxicating and is the culmination of his career. Le bassin aux nymphéas sold for over $40million at Christie’s London in 2008. Egon Schiele was introduced to the Wiener Werkstätte by Gustav Klimt. His haunting portraits and contorted drawings were greatly admired by the artists of the Vienna Secession.
Works in different media are explored in varying contexts. Students address questions of quality and meaning, originality and authenticity. The master’s thesis involves the study of original works of art and the use of primary source documents in order to formulate original critical arguments. The connoisseurship seminar involves object based learning and field studies where you are actually able to go behind the scenes at some of the art world’s foremost museums and institutions. Students regularly use Christie’s salerooms where a large staff of experts and facilities for close examination of works of art at close hand are available.

Master’s Program

Program of Study

M.A. in Modern Art, Connoisseurship, and the History of the Art Market.

The New York State Board of Regents

In 2007 Christie’s Education New York was accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education in their capacity as a nationally recognised accrediting agency in the United States. Christie’s Education New York, as a degree granting institution, holds its own graduation ceremony at Rockefeller Center each year.

Why Graduate Study at Christie’s Education?

Christie’s Education New York is part of the global family of Christie’s Education founded in 1978. By coming to study at Christie’s Education you will be receiving a unique insight into the functioning of, and history of, the art market with unparalleled access to the auction house and the works of art that pass through it every week. The history of art is explored through continuing first hand observation of works in many media and students address issues of meaning, originality, and authenticity.

Internship Program

All master’s students participate in an internship programme which is a required and monitored component of their master’s degree. Christie’s Education helps students secure internships through the assistance of an internship co-ordinator who helps them research opportunities and target three or four prospective placement sites to which they will apply for an internship.

Alumni

On graduation, many of our alumni go on to careers in the art world and can be found at some of the most prestigious cultural institutions in New York and throughout the United States. Many of our alumni choose to begin their own businesses, including art consulting firms and galleries. Below is a select listing of the organizations where our alumni have been recently employed: Christie’s: Post-War and Contemporary Art; Estates and Appraisals; Impressionist and Modern; Photographs • 511 Gallery • Artists Rights Society • Bellwether Gallery • Brooklyn Museum • College Art Association • Doyle New York • Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts • Fine Art Capitol • Gagosian Gallery • Jewish Museum • J.Paul Getty Trust • Marian Goodman • Masterson Gurr Johns • Mitchell-Innes & Nash • Museum of Modern Art • Mixed Greens • Pace Wildenstein Gallery • Peter Findlay Gallery • Seattle Art Museum • Sotheby’s • Swann Galleries • Tajan • The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum • ViArt Corporation

How to Apply

Applications are made by completing the Application Form.

Applicants will be asked to attend for interview based on the information they provide on the form. Christie’s Education accepts applications for New York beginning in the fall for the following academic year.

All applicants for master's programs must also complete the following:
Letter of Recommendation

Any queries concerning the application process should be addressed to the Admissions Committee on christieseducation@christies.edu

Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships

Christie's Education, New York offers financial assistance to admitted students through Merit Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships. To learn more about these opportunities or to apply, please download the Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships Application Form.

Interviews

Christie’s Education believes it is important for future students to have an opportunity to meet faculty in order to discuss the suitability of the courses and the applicant’s plans for the future. In New York, the Admissions Committee invites selected candidates for an interview where candidates will be asked to discuss a selection of images as well as their particular interests. Applicants will formally notified of the outcome of their interview within 10 days.

TOEFL and GRE Exams

Applicants to the Christie’s Education New York master’s program must be proficient in English. Applicants whose native language is not English, or who are graduates of non-English speaking colleges and universities, must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In addition to this, applicants for MA programs must also take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The TOEFL and GRE test takers must have their scores forwarded to Christie’s Education by Educational Testing Service (ETS) which administers these exams. They must enter the Christie’s Education code, 9394, on the TOEFL and GRE Score Report Request Form. For information on these exams, please visit the ETS website at www.ets.org

 

Prospectus

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Alumni portal

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New York alumni click here.