John Stainton is Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Old Master Paintings department. John joined the company in 1990 after completing a two-year diploma at Christie's Education, and was appointed Head of Department, British Pictures 1500-1850, in 1994. In 2007 John became an International Director of the merged Old Master & British Paintings department.
Major works which John has worked closely on in recent years include J.M.W. Turner’s Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio, Venice (2006; US$35.8M), George Stubbs’ Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath (2011; £22.4M), and John Constable’s The Lock (2012; £22.4M), each representing world record prices. John also handles major private and institutional sales.
While British Painting – a field whose market Christie’s consistently dominates – remains a passion, John works across all schools of European Old Masters. In 2014 John curated the highly successful ‘Art of the Horse’ private selling exhibition which toured to Shanghai and Hong Kong, comprising Asian and Western works of art, from Antiquity to the present day. John leads the Old Master department’s work in Asia.
Major works which John has worked closely on in recent years include J.M.W. Turner’s Giudecca, La Donna della Salute and San Giorgio, Venice (2006; US$35.8M), George Stubbs’ Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath (2011; £22.4M), and John Constable’s The Lock (2012; £22.4M), each representing world record prices. John also handles major private and institutional sales.
While British Painting – a field whose market Christie’s consistently dominates – remains a passion, John works across all schools of European Old Masters. In 2014 John curated the highly successful ‘Art of the Horse’ private selling exhibition which toured to Shanghai and Hong Kong, comprising Asian and Western works of art, from Antiquity to the present day. John leads the Old Master department’s work in Asia.
