Simon de Pury is one of the leading figures in the art market. He is renowned for his legendary performance on the auction podium and for his deep and longstanding knowledge of the global marketplace.
From 2000 to 2012 he was Chairman and Chief Auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company. Earlier in his career he was Chairman Europe and Chief Auctioneer Worldwide at Sotheby’s. He was also curator of the Thyssen- Bornemisza Collection that today is housed in it’s own museum in Madrid. Simon has been instrumental in championing the careers of many contemporary artists, photographers and designers. He has auctioned and secured a substantial number of the most legendary art collections for auctions and private treaty.
At the beginning of 2013 Simon founded, together with his wife Michaela, de Pury de Pury, a company specialising in conceiving and curating exhibitions, discovering emerging artists, building collections, advising established collectors and institutions together with facilitating private transactions of Impressionist, Modern, Post War and Contemporary Art.
In 2010, he was the subject of an hour-long documentary on the BBC, titled ‘The Man with the Golden Gavel’. In 2010 and 2011 he was mentor in Bravo’s reality TV show ‘Work of Art: The Next Great Artist’.
He is an active charity auctioneer, and over the years has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for a number of charities and cultural institutions.
Phillips is the destination for international collectors to buy and sell the world’s most important twentieth-century and contemporary works of art, design, jewels, watches, photographs and editions. Headquartered in New York and London, offices throughout the world, Phillips conducts sales in a select number of categories: Contemporary Art, Photographs, Editions, Design, Watches and Jewlery. Additionally, the core art business includes special exhibitions, private sales, advising private estates and corporate clients, museum and arts sponsorships, and consulting.
