Art Auction – Paintings and Works of Art

The Don Foundation art auction is held online on the foundation’s website: paintings, graphics, sculpture and other works of art. Each lot has a starting price and a bid step; once your application is approved, you can place an advance bid before the sale starts, and the result of each lot is shown on the auction page at once. Taking part is free, and works can also be bought between sales, from the catalogue.

At an auction of paintings and graphics the price is set by demand: the lot goes to the highest bidder, with the estimate – a preliminary valuation – as a guide. The Don Foundation holds its online auction on its own site, so bidders from different cities and countries can take part (how it works), and past sales – 14 auctions – are gathered in the archive of the Auctions section. Each lot’s description gives the author, year, technique and size where known, along with details of any expert assessment.

An art auction should not be confused with an electronic trading platform. In public procurement and e-trading an "auction" is a tender for goods and services, with supplier registration and a digital signature; the object there is a contract, not art. Here the meaning is different: the works themselves are put up for sale, and taking part does not require supplier status. If you actually need electronic trading, those are platforms of a different kind – we say so honestly rather than posing as one.

What sets a painting auction apart from a marketplace or classifieds is the object itself. Here originals are sold, not reproductions, posters or prints on canvas; the author, year and technique are on the work’s page where known. The collection spans Russian and Soviet classics from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, domestic Nonconformism and contemporary art, as well as international names. Among the authors are Mikhail Shemyakin, Ernst Neizvestny, Vladimir Nemukhin, Boris Sveshnikov, Alexander Chursin and Konstantin Batynkov; among the international names is Salvador Dalí, and printed graphics by Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall are also represented.

The collection comprises 462 works by 115 artists: painting, original and printed graphics, sculpture, objects, photography and decorative art – above all porcelain. The price range is from 10 to 100 000 $; 144 000 € (some works are priced in euro); price on request for some works. Works are easy to browse in the catalogue – by painting, Russian painting and contemporary art – or by artist; key authors have their own pages, for example Mikhail Shemyakin. The auction house handles the transaction and arranges delivery within Russia and abroad.

Upcoming auction

New auctions are announced in advance – follow the announcements on the online auction page.

How to buy a painting at auction

You can buy a painting at a Don Foundation auction from any city: the sales are held online. Apply on the auction page – your name and email are enough. Once the organisers approve your application, you will receive an email with a personal link to the auction room. Before the sale starts you can place advance bids, and during the sale you bid while the auctioneer takes the lots one by one. The winner gives a delivery address and receives one invoice – the lot price plus delivery. Every step is in the guide “How to take part in an auction”.

Starting price, bid step, custom amount

Each lot shows its starting price and, for many lots, an estimate – an approximate valuation. The first bid on a lot equals the starting price; after that you can bid any custom amount above the current price. The bid step is only a prompt for the quick-bid buttons, not a required raise. An advance bid placed before the sale starts immediately becomes the lot’s current price. A new bid in the last half-minute extends the time, so the bidding does not break off at the last second.

The lot goes to the highest bidder. If a lot has a reserve price – the minimum selling price – the bid must reach it, otherwise the lot stays unsold. The result of each lot is shown on the auction page at once. Applying and taking part in sales are free: you pay only for a lot you win and its delivery.

Auction or a fixed price

At auction the price is set by demand: the starting price is only where the bidding begins, and the result depends on the bids. You do not have to wait for a sale: a significant part of the collection is available to buy directly, without bidding – each work in the catalogue shows a price or an option to request it. Paintings with prices are gathered in the Painting section, and how to choose and buy a work is explained on the page “Buy an original painting”.

Questions and answers

How does a painting auction differ from an electronic auction or public procurement?

In e-trading and public procurement an "auction" is a tender for goods and services: it requires supplier registration and a digital signature. The Don Foundation auction is a sale of works of art: the object here is an original work, not a contract, and no supplier status is needed to take part.

How do the sales take place – online or in person?

The Don Foundation holds its sales online on its own site, so you can take part from any city. Past auctions are gathered in the archive of the Auctions section.

Are originals or reproductions sold at the auction?

Originals only. Each work’s page gives the author, year, technique and size where known, along with details of any expert assessment. There are no reproductions, posters or prints on canvas in the sales.

What can be bought between auctions?

Works from the collection are available in the catalogue and between sales – with transaction support and delivery within Russia and abroad. The current price is shown on each work's page.

How much do the works cost, and in what currency?

The price range in the collection is from 10 to 100 000 $; 144 000 € (some works are priced in euro); price on request for some works. The current price is shown on each work's page, and for items it may be given in rubles, dollars or euros.

Auction of paintings and works of art