Corrections

Getting the facts right matters more to us than getting them first. Every story is checked against the sources listed on its page.

How we label facts

Every claim in our research gets a source and one of four labels, and the label decides how we write it:

• Confirmed facts are written plainly.
• Attributed facts say who says so (“Sotheby’s says…”), and ownership steps are marked “Reported”.
• Disputed facts are written as a dispute, with both sides.
• Unverified claims never appear in our stories.

Works with a full page and story are checked against at least two independent sources. The wider catalogue, works listed with their sale but no story yet, is drawn from our research notes and is being checked work by work; corrections to it are welcome.

Prices

Prices are public auction results including the buyer’s premium, in US dollars at the time of sale. For sales in other currencies we convert at a published historical exchange rate for the sale date (Federal Reserve or Bank of England data) and show the original amount too. Where a catalogue work has no converted figure yet, we show the price in the currency of the sale. Sales from before buyer’s premiums existed (1975 in London, the late 1970s in New York) are hammer prices, and we say so.

When we get something wrong

• Use “Correct the record” at the foot of any work’s page, or the help page. Tell us where you read the correct version if you can.
• We check every report. If we were wrong, we fix the page and add a dated note saying what changed.
• Small fixes that don’t change the meaning, like typos, are made without a note.