
John Stainton
International Director - British Pictures
London, King Street
John Stainton is a Senior Department Head for British Pictures and Sporting Art. John joined the company in 1990 after completing a two-year diploma at Christie's Education. He then became a member of the British Picture department in 1992 and was appointed Head of Department, British Pictures 1500-1850, in 1994. The last stand-alone sales of early British Pictures were held in 2006, a year which saw Christie's secure 65% market share. Since 2007 early British Pictures in London have been presented alongside continental Old Master Pictures (as has always been the case in New York), enabling them to be introduced to an even broader, more international client base.
Throughout his twenty years at Christie's, John has overseen landmark sales in the British Art field including establishing world records for works by Sir Peter Lely, Richard Wilson, George Stubbs, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Thomas Lawrence, David Wilkie, J.M.W. Turner, and Sir Edwin Landseer.
For many years John has also overseen Christie's highly successful worldwide sales of Sporting Art and, in addition to George Stubbs, John has a particular interest in and knowledge of works by Sir Alfred Munnings.