Stijn Alsteens has joined Christie’s today as the International Head of the Old Master Drawings department in Paris. For the last ten years, Alsteens was Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was previously Curator of the Fondation Custodia (Frits Lugt Collection) in Paris. Most recently he co-curated the exhibition Van Dyck: The Anatomy of Portraiture at The Frick Collection.

Information from the press release, 26 October 2016

Christie’s announces Stijn Alsteens will join the firm on 1 November as International Head of the Old Master Drawings department, based in Paris. Mr. Alsteens brings his deep expertise and international knowledge of the drawings market. For the last ten years, he was Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and was previously Curator of the Frits Lugt Collection in Paris. He has published widely, mainly on Northern European drawings, and curated several major exhibitions, most recently Van Dyck: The Anatomy of Portraiture at the Frick Collection in New York. Mr. Alsteens’ extensive experience blends outstanding art scholarship with active experience in the market, having helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire over 700 drawings.

“I am delighted to be joining Christie’s and to be taking on such a prominent role in the world of old master drawings,” comments Mr. Alsteens. “The continued strength of the drawings market was clear in the recent sales of the collections of I.Q. van Regteren Altena and Brian Sewell, and I look forward to promoting and widening the field further across the world.”

Mr. Alsteens takes over from Benjamin Peronnet who has decided to leave Christie’s at the end of the year after 11 years with the company.