Art Law

Christie’s Education’s online course Art Law offers a detailed in-depth introduction to this essential legal field. The course covers art-world legal practice and legislation in the major international regions: the USA, Europe, UK and China. The six-week course is written and presented by legal academic Vittoria Mastrandrea (Christie’s, Christie’s Education).

Understanding the law as it affects the art industry is vital for those looking to enter the profession as a career and for those looking to expand their careers within the art world in business, specialist and legal roles. This course has been created to provide you with an understanding of this complex subject necessary to progress in your ambitions.

Art Law is structured to deliver both an academic understanding of the key legal concepts that affect art world transactions, as well as detailed procedural considerations to ensure your learnings can be put to practical use. Multiple case studies throughout the course help demonstrate the application of these concepts in courts around the world. Over six weeks the course will teach you an understanding of contract law and anti-money laundering procedures, copyright, export regulations, authenticity and forgery, restitution and repatriation, and issues involved in museums and deaccessioning.

The course includes a detailed reading list, weekly summary handouts, and weekly multiple-choice tests to help you learn and retain core content.

Included in the course are six exclusive and in-depth interviews with major legal professionals in the art world. These interviews offer you unparalleled insight into their areas of practice, issues they have faced, and an understanding of international art law as experienced by those at the forefront of it.

Exclusive interviews feature:

Racheal Muldoon
Barrister at The 36 Group, London, and member of the specialist 36 Commercial’s Crime and Art Law teams, with experience over the past decade of advising auction houses, private dealers and large cultural institutions, including the British Museum.

Ruth Cornett
Director, Heritage & Taxation Advisory Service, Christie’s. Advises on a range of tax matters with emphasis on capital gains tax, inheritance tax and income tax. Trained as an art historian and worked as a curator in the V&A before studying law and qualifying as a Chartered Tax Advisor. Observer on the Historic Houses Association (HHA) Tax and Political Committee.

Giuseppe Calabi
Managing Partner at CBM & Partners Studio Legale, Milan. Chairman of the Art, Cultural Institutions, and Heritage Law Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA). He has been a member of the Commission for the implementation of the reform on the international circulation of works of art and cultural heritage, appointed by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage.

Megan Noh

Co-chairs Pryor Cashman's Art Law group, bringing over 15 years of combined experience in private practice and business roles—and extensive knowledge of a wide variety of complex, art-industry-specific customs and legal issues—to her practice. Among other art market stakeholders, she counsels individual collectors, artists, galleries, auction houses, estates and fiduciaries, and non-profits on a range of transactional and contentious matters.

Anne-Sophie Nardon

Managing partner of Borghese Associés, which she co-founded in 2009. She specializes in litigation concerning art related disputes and represents collectors and art dealers in high profile criminal cases of theft and illicit trafficking. Founded the ACE art law commission and is part of the teaching team of the Masters in Art Market and Heritage Law at Paris II University.

Mary Claire Turkington and Maggie Hoag

Deputy General Counsel, Christie’s London and SVP, Deputy General Counsel, Christie’s New York in conversation. Practical art law at Christie’s and the differences between working in the UK and US. Covering topics such as transactions, authenticity, antiquities, imports and exports.

This course has been CPD certified.

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Watch our trailer video for an overview of the course

Any Questions?

Click here to send us an email if you have a question regarding the course

Schedule

Session One ­– Important Art Law Transactional Issues

• Key Concepts: contract law and common law and civil law jurisdictions
• Auction contracts
• Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Client

Session Two – Copyright and other Artists’ Rights

• Intellectual property and the visual arts
• Application of copyright law (with a special focus on contemporary art)
• Artists’ Resale Rights and Moral Rights

Session Three – Exporting Objects of Cultural Value and Protected Species

• International regulations
• Personal property and state interest in cultural objects
• The CITES Convention, procedures and sanctions

Session Four – Authenticity and Attribution

• Authenticity and the law
• How a work of art is authenticated
• Forgery and fraud

Session Five – Restitution and Repatriation

• Understanding restitution and repatriation
• International and national legislation (and their limitations)
• Current debates

Session Six – Museums and Deaccessioning

• The role of the museum
• Professional standards bodies around the world
• Deaccessioning and its controversies

Course Dates

18 July - 28 August 2023

Enrol Now

19 September – 30 October 2023

7 November – 18 December 2023

Studying Online

The course will require approximately five hours of study time per week. There will be further reading and weekly assignments. 

Online courses at Christie’s Education

• Online courses are designed for students to study when it is most convenient for them. Our pre-recorded lectures are filmed with documentary-style production values, taking you on a narrative-led journey through your chosen subject.
• Each module's lecture lasts for approximately one hour.
• Our courses are arranged in modules, containing your lectures and special features. Each week, a new module will open for you to study, allowing you to explore the content at your own pace. Typically, our courses consist of six modules overall.

 

During your time on the course, your Tutor will provide:

• Frequent art world announcements.
• Opportunities to ask questions and request tutor guidance.
• Tutor-initiated networking discussions with icebreaker questions and art world news.
• Art History courses have optional written assignments with detailed and supportive individual feedback to help develop ideas and enrich analytical skills and understanding.
• Art Business and Luxury courses have optional multiple-choice assignments to consolidate learning and track progress.

   

  Further benefits

• Handouts and English subtitles are provided to reinforce your learning.
• Networking and knowledge-share opportunities with fellow online course participants and alumni.
• You have three weeks after the course has finished to complete your assignments and discuss the course with your tutor.
• All video lectures and course materials remain available to students for six months after assignments close.
• If you complete all the assignments and complete the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. Certificates are not available for self-directed courses.
• Frequent livestreamed seminars for students and alumni on topics that span the art world. Seminars are led by alumni, your tutor, and art world professionals.

 

Additional Information

The course will require between two to three hours of study time per week. There will be further reading and weekly assignments. 

Read our Frequently Asked Questions to find out more information about online courses.

Technical Requirements
The course is facilitated through an online learning environment that is compatible with most modern browsers. It is the responsibility of students to have the proper hardware and software required to participate, along with access to WiFi. The basic technical requirements can be found in the FAQs. 

 

Terms and Conditions

Please ensure you read carefully through our terms and conditions before enrolling on a course.

 

Student Testimonials

‘The Instructors and Presentations were excellent. I was continually engaged in the material by means of presentation. The special feature guests were very interesting. I enjoyed the entire course and will be taking another.’

‘The tutor was fantastic. Very clear, concise and summarised the key complexities and challenges in an easy to digest fashion. Very well written all around.’

‘The interviews concluding each lesson were wonderful.’

‘I have already recommended this course to others. I mention the ease of navigation, the instructors and presentation delivery are excellent, and the fact that it is art is very interesting, even if you do not have a background in art. I would like to thank all of the participants in this online course for making it fun, informative and interesting!’

‘I thought the content was excellent and very up to date.’

‘The fact that the summary slides were provided for every module was extremely helpful. The course is nicely structured, gives an overview of laws existing in different jurisdictions.’

‘It was very accessible and provided a strong basis for entry level understanding and further exploration of the law (across key jurisdictions) as it applies to the art world. Thank you. I would recommend this course as something digestible that you can take at your own pace and learn a lot from.’

‘The course Art Law is well structured and provides the fundamental knowledge of law in the art world. Very useful.’

‘The instructor spoke very clearly and it was easy to follow along with what she was talking about. I also think the variety of topics was interesting. I loved the international scope of the class.’

‘I enjoyed all of the learning, but the special features with different professionals added a great deal of value and insight.’

‘I really liked the case studies and the expert interviews.’

‘Topics are very interesting. Special features are insightful. This course has given me a desire to learn more.’

‘All the courses I've taken are great - Art Law, Valuation, Navigating Art Market etc. I would recommend them all.’

‘Deep knowledge. Interesting cases. Valuable information.’ 

'The interviews each week with Art law professionals were outstanding. I enjoyed each of them thoroughly and valued the industry insight. It was also especially interesting to hear Christie's in house counsel elaborate on the workings of the internal Legal department.'

'It was a very interesting broad introduction to these notions and a nice way to get more familiar with the terminology of this environment.'

'The course schedule is flexible enough for a full time worker to attend.'

'I liked the interviews with practicing attorneys/professionals.'

'I did like the special feature talks which allowed a more comprehensive approach of the notions covered in each session.'

'The course was delivered very professionally. Course content was of high standard and all-rounded. Concepts were delivered very clearly. Lectures were enjoyable.'

'The format of the course fits perfectly for full time workers.'

'I liked most the weeks spent on restitution and deaccessioning, as these are the most controversial topics covered. I also thought the subjects chosen throughout the weeks for case studies were very interesting.'

'I would recommend everything.'

Faculty

Contact

For any queries about this course please contact

Telephone:

UK: +44 207 389 2375

HK: +852 2978 6768 

NY: +1 212 636 2127

Email: onlinecourses@christies.com