Popular name for the London firm of Christie, Manson & Woods, the oldest fine-arts auctioneers in the world.
It was founded by James Christie (1730–1803), who opened his salesrooms in 1766. He became friends with Thomas Gainsborough , among others, and developed a tradition of holding studio sales for prominent artists. Christie's has handled some of the most important art sales in history, including the sale of paintings to {{link=Catherine">Catherine II the Great of Russia. The firm, which became a public company in 1973, now has branches all over the world.