"Auction" can mean many things, from electronic procurement to the sale of works of art. This page is about the art auction – a public sale where the buyer receives an original work: a painting, a print, a sculpture or a piece of decorative art. Such sales are held by the Don Auction House, a foundation based in Rostov-on-Don; the auctions take place online, and works can also be bought between sales, from the catalogue.
At an art auction the price is set by demand: the lot goes to the highest bidder, with the estimate – a preliminary valuation – as a guide. The Don Auction House holds its sales online on the BidSpirit platform, so bidders from different cities and countries can take part, and past sales are gathered in the archive of the Auctions section. Every lot is described plainly: author, year, technique and size are stated, along with provenance and expert opinion where available.
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: genuine works 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 an art auction apart from a marketplace or classifieds is the object itself. Here originals are sold, not reproductions, posters or prints on canvas: each work has a known author and history. 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 632 works by 122 artists: painting, original and printed graphics, sculpture, objects, photography and decorative art – above all porcelain. The price range is from 280 to 7 000 000 ₽; from 4 000 to 100 000 $ (some works are priced in US dollars). 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.
How does an art 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 art 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 Auction House holds its sales online on the BidSpirit platform, 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 has a known author, year, technique and size, with provenance and expert opinion provided where relevant. 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 280 to 7 000 000 ₽; from 4 000 to 100 000 $ (some works are priced in US dollars). The current price is shown on each work's page, and for items it may be given in rubles, dollars or euros.
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