Occasionally, backs of important buildings can be unexpectedly more attractive than the front. Take Christie’s the famous Auction House in St James for instance.
Christie’s was founded in 1766 by Scottish auctioneer James Christie and he must have really known what he was doing, because over 250 years later the company is still going strong and in 2022 sold US$8.4 billion in art and luxury goods.
Nowadays, Christie’s is worldwide and has showrooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shanghai, and Dubai, but the headquarters remains here in London.
The front of the building is suitably grand and imposing, but the rear is much lighter, Italianate and lively. Can’t tell you much about the man who built it, but sometimes it’s not that important to know. It’s simply enough to enjoy the architecture.