1 Million Followers Later, Revisit Sotheby’s Most Memorable Instagrams

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Thank you to our 1 million followers! From behind-the-scenes moments and expert insights, to live auction updates from around the globe, we’ve loved welcoming you inside the world of Sotheby’s. Head to our stories to test your knowledge of Sotheby’s history and click the link in our bio for a look at some of our most popular posts and memorable moments. Here’s to many more exciting things to come! #auction #instagram 🍾🎈🎊🥂

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Jul 11, 2019 at 6:26am PDT

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We are pleased to announce that the winning bidder on @Banksy’s ‘Girl with Balloon’ last Friday night in London has confirmed their decision to acquire the new work that was created in our salesroom. Newly titled ‘Love is in the Bin’, the piece has become the first artwork in history to have been created live during an auction. The buyer, a female European collector and a long-standing client of Sotheby’s, is proceeding with the purchase at the same price as was achieved in the room on the night. ‘Love is in the Bin’ will be on view to the public in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries in #London on Saturday and Sunday 13th and 14th October from noon until 5pm. Final entry to the galleries at 4.40pm. #LoveIsInTheBin #SothebysContemporary #Banksy

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Oct 11, 2018 at 10:09am PDT

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Today’s #FridayFeeling comes courtesy of famously #dapper and beloved actor Bill Nighy, shot by renowned #portrait and #fashion #photographer Lorenzo Agius in 2005 – to be offered as part of our Made in Britain exhibition and auction in London next month. 🥂 🍾 #SothebysModBrit #LorenzoAgius #BillNighy #ChampagneTime

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Feb 15, 2019 at 4:17am PST

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Pablo Picasso’s ‘Mousquetaire à la pipe’ from 1968 is a spectacular example of a theme that defined the last years of the artist’s life. The iconography of the musketeer was indicative of Picasso's self-awareness in the years before his death – gone from his paintings were the veiled references to the artist as the victorious gladiator or centaur, with the arrogant musketeer believed to be a more appropriate avatar. The painting is an early highlight of our Impressionist & Modern Art sales this May in #NYC. #SothebysImpMod #Picasso #PabloPicasso

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Mar 23, 2019 at 1:53pm PDT

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Why choose one when you can have them all? 💍💍💍💍These cushion, emerald, pear and step-cut #diamond rings are highlights from our Important Jewels auction in #NYC on 6 June. Which one is your favorite? @sothebysjewels #SothebysJewels

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 26, 2019 at 10:35am PDT

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‘The mouth is the gateway to the mind’ – @thetylershields. Dubbed the Andy #Warhol of his generation, Tyler Shields is recognised as ‘#Hollywood’s favourite #photographer’. ‘Mouthful’ is one of the most important photographs of his career, the outcome of a quest to take a perfect photo of the mouth. Unlike his usual practice of perfecting one image, Shields was looking for 16 great shots, testing #lipsticks and poses on film stocks for a week before he was satisfied with the final result. Bid on this compelling image in our Erotic: Passion & Desire Online sale, open until 12 February and currently on view in our #London galleries. 💋 #SothebysErotic #TylerShields #RedLipstick

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Feb 6, 2019 at 4:33am PST

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Breaking #news: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s ‘Untitled’ masterpiece just sold for $110.5m in our #nyc salesroom! Acquired by noted collector and entrepreneur, @yusaku2020, the work set a new auction record for the artist and also for a work by an American artist at auction. Before the work becomes a centerpiece of his future museum in Chiba, Mr. Maezawa’s hometown in #Japan, this exceptional painting will be loaned to institutions and exhibitions around the world. #SothebysContemporary continues in #NYC. Head over to Sothebys.com to view the auction, or check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for more information.

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 18, 2017 at 5:56pm PDT

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💃🏻 This exceptional example of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s iconic ‘Moulin Rouge - La Goulue’ – the artist’s first poster and first lithograph – will highlight our spring sale of Prints & Multiples this month in #NYC. Follow along this week for more pivotal printmaking by 20th century titans including #Warhol, #DeKooning, #Matisse and more – and make plans to visit us on York Avenue when they go on public exhibition beginning 25 April. #SothebysPrints #HenriToulouseLautrec #Lautrec #MoulinRouge #Printstagram

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Apr 11, 2019 at 4:52pm PDT

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NEWSFLASH: Moments ago in our packed NYC salesroom, Claude Monet’s ‘Meules’ from 1890 — one of art history’s most evocative images – sold for $110.7 million. The result marks a new world auction record for any work by Claude Monet, and the first work of Impressionist art to cross the $100 million threshold at auction. ‘Meules’ is one of only four works from Monet’s acclaimed Haystacks series to come to auction this century, and one of only eight examples remaining in private hands. The other 17 examples reside in distinguished museum collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Musée d’Orsay, Paris and six in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. #SothebysImpMod #ClaudeMonet #Monet #Impressionism #sothebysbreakingground

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 14, 2019 at 4:46pm PDT

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Born #onthisday in 1951: beloved entertainer Robin Williams. #creatingastage 📷: Arthur Grace

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Jul 21, 2018 at 9:37am PDT

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Watch as bidders battled for Pablo Picasso’s ‘Femme au chien,’ which set a new record high for a 1960s era Picasso when it achieved $54.9 million during last night’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in #NYC. Having remained in the same private collection for nearly 30 years, ‘Femme au chien’ from 1962 depicts Jacqueline Roque, the artist’s second wife who stayed with him until his death in 1973, alongside Picasso’s Afghan hound, Kaboul. #SothebysImpMod #auctionrecord #picasso #sothebysbreakingground

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 15, 2019 at 6:41pm PDT

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✨ Time for the weekend! Follow @sothebyswatches for more exceptional timepieces on offer in next week’s auction of Important Watches – and make plans to visit our public exhibition this weekend in #NYC. Pictured here is a Ref 6102P ‘Celestial’ by @patekphilippe, which highlights the firm’s great tradition of astronomical watches. The celestial chart rotates counter clockwise, showing the progression of stars relative to the meridian passage of Sirius. Simultaneously, the meridian passage and phases of the moon can be seen. 25 trillion ratio combinations were researched by Patek Philippe to determine the greatest accuracy for this display. #sothebyswatches #patekphilippe

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 31, 2019 at 2:29pm PDT

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How do you like your eggs? 🍳 - As a picture of an egg becomes the #MostLikedPhoto on Instagram, we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite eggs from Sotheby’s salerooms... - Lucian Freud, ‘Four Eggs on a Plate’, 2002. Gabriel Germain Joncherie, ‘Still Life of Eggs Cooking on a Stove’, 19th century. Dutch School, ‘A Still Life with Eggs’, 20th century. Antoine Vollon, ‘Nature morte aux oeufs’, 19th century. Elephant Bird Egg, 17th century. Lucio Fontana, ‘Concetto Spaziale, La Fine di Dio’, 1963 - #LiketheEgg #EggSoldiers #EggGang #EggsinArt #Eggcellent @world_record_egg

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Jan 14, 2019 at 8:42am PST

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Jean Béraud’s paintings are synonymous with the Paris Belle Époque, so much so that at the turn of the century a scene of Parisian life came to be known as a "Béraud." Whisk yourself to the city of light while you view ‘La Conversation,’ now on public view in our #NYC galleries ahead of the #SothebysEuropean Auction on 21 November.

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Nov 19, 2017 at 12:34pm PST

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Happy 90th birthday to Yayoi Kusama! We're celebrating this towering figure in contemporary art with a look at her extraordinary life. Swipe to watch a clip from the latest episode of Expert Voices with Heather Lenz – director and producer of the critically acclaimed documentary ‘Kusama: Infinity’. Visit sothebys.com to watch the full video. #YayoiKusama #Kusama #onthisday #SothebysContemporary

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Mar 22, 2019 at 3:25pm PDT

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Barbara Sinatra personally traveled to Palm Beach to acquire this 307 piece pottery lettuceware service set directly from Dodie Thayer. It is one of the many highlights from our exhibition of Lady Blue Eyes: Property of Barbara and Frank Sinatra, on view in our #NYC galleries through 5 December. #franksinatra #barbarasinatra

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Dec 1, 2018 at 8:01am PST

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Painted in 1937, René Magritte’s ‘Le Principe du plaisir (The Pleasure Principle)’ is an entrancing portrait that depicts Edward James, one of the most influential patrons of Surrealist art, who was introduced to Magritte by Salvador Dalí in 1937. Commissioned directly by James, the present portrait was rendered from a photograph of the patron that was taken according to the artist’s specifications by fellow Surrealist, Man Ray. Magritte envisioned the concept for the present work before ever meeting James – in 1936, the artist included an ink sketch resembling the oil on the first page of a hand-made book honoring the Surrealist poet, Paul Éluard. A highlight of our Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 12 November, this mesmerizing work is now on view in our #NYC galleries. #SothebysImpMod #Magritte #Surrealism 💡

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Nov 4, 2018 at 5:56pm PST

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#Maroon5 frontman Adam Levine’s 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing will cross the auction block at @rmsothebys 17th annual Fort Lauderdale auction this weekend! An iconic shape in automotive history, this sleek @mercedesbenz has been owned by #adamlevine for the last six years. Swipe ➡️ to see the unique doors, which are hinged at the roofline and open upward ⬆️ instead of outward. #rmftlauderdale #mercedesbenz #carsofinstagram

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Mar 27, 2019 at 8:22am PDT

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‘A firework display of summer heat’: One of the greatest works by leading Modern master Gustav #Klimt to ever appear at auction, the luminous Bauerngarten is to lead our #Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in #London next month. A jewel-like symphony of colours, this exquisite landscape was painted in the same year as Klimt’s iconic #golden Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. The painting is innovative in its composition, with an echo of a figure almost tangible under the triangular composition of #flowers. Last exhibited as a highlight of the critically-acclaimed @royalacademyarts ‘Painting the Modern #Garden’ show last year, Bauerngarten is set to be unveiled in our #HK galleries this Tuesday. #SothebysImpMod #GustavKlimt

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Feb 11, 2017 at 1:11am PST

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Celebrating the first half of 2017 with our favorite #SothebysMoments: In #HongKong on 4 April, we set a new world auction record for any #diamond 💎 or jewel when The CTF Pink Star diamond sold for $71.2 million to Hong Kong jeweler, Chow Tai Fook. Additionally, the 59.60 carat, Oval Mixed-Cut Fancy Vivid Pink, Internally Flawless Diamond set a new record for any work sold at auction in Asia. #Regram @kimberleysmith8 #SothebysJewels

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on Aug 1, 2017 at 11:25am PDT

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NEWSFLASH: Moments ago in our #NYC saleroom, Amedeo Modigliani’s 1917 masterpiece ‘Nu couché’ sold for $157.2 million – the highest auction price achieved in Sotheby’s history. Painted a century ago, ‘Nu couché’ is the greatest work from the iconic series in which Modigliani reinvented the nude for the Modern era. Upon their exhibition in 1917, these alluring images stopped traffic – quite literally – and prompted police to shutter the show. Today, the series is recognized as one of the seminal achievements in Modern painting. #SothebysImpsMod #Modigliani #Nude #FearlessNow

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) on May 14, 2018 at 4:51pm PDT