2026 New York Gala Auction Terms & Conditions

Items will be auctioned through live bidding and silent auction on the evening of April 19, 2026 at the Rainbow Room in New York. Silent auction items will also be available online from April 13, 2026 at 9:00 am EDT- April 20, 2026, at 2:00 pm EDT at https://aflouvre.auctions.networkforgood.com/auctions/2026-new-york-gala-silent-auction.

Bidding will be accepted by the submission of an absentee bid form from individuals who cannot be present. The property offered in this sale will be offered and sold by American Friends of the Louvre (the “Charity”). Any questions should be directed to the Charity and not to Sotheby’s, Inc., (“Sotheby’s”), which serves merely as auctioneer for the Charity in conducting the auction sale and participates on the following terms and conditions, as amended by any posted notices or oral announcements during the sale, which govern the sale of all the property offered at the auction:

  1. (a) Neither Sotheby’s nor the Charity assume any risk, liability or responsibility for the authenticity of the authorship of any property offered at this auction (that is, the identity of the creator or the period, culture, source or origin, as the case may be, with which the creation of any property is identified). (b) ALL PROPERTY IS SOLD “AS IS” AND NEITHER SOTHEBY’S NOR THE CHARITY MAKES ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPERTY, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER OF THEM BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CORRECTNESS OF ANY CATALOGUE OR NOTICES OR DESCRIPTIONS OF PROPERTY, NOR BE DEEMED TO HAVE MADE, ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTY OF PHYSICAL CONDITION, SIZE, QUALITY, RARITY, IMPORTANCE, GENUINENESS, ATTRIBUTION, AUTHENTICITY, PROVENANCE OR HISTORICAL RELEVANCE OF THE PROPERTY. No statement in any catalogue, notice or description or made at the sale, in any bill of sale invoice or elsewhere, shall be deemed such a representation or warranty or any assumption of liability. Neither Sotheby’s nor the Charity makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to whether the purchaser acquires any reproduction rights in the property. Prospective bidders should inspect the property before bidding to determine its condition, size and whether or not it has been repaired or restored.
  2. Any property may be withdrawn by Sotheby’s or the Charity at any time before the actual sale without any liability therefore.
  3. Sotheby’s and the Charity reserve the right to reject a bid from any bidder. The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be the purchaser. In the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer shall have sole and final discretion either to determine the successful bidder or to reoffer and resell the article in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, the Charity’s sale records shall be conclusive in all respects.
  4. If the auctioneer determines that any opening bid is not commensurate with the value of the article offered, s/he may reject the same and withdraw the article from sale, and if, having acknowledged an opening bid, s/he decides that any advance thereafter is insufficient, he may reject the advance.
  5. On the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer, the highest bidder shall be deemed to have purchased the offered lot subject to all of the conditions set forth herein and thereupon (a) assumes the risk and responsibility thereof (including without limitation damage to frames or glass the covering prints), (b) will sign a confirmation of purchase thereof and (c) will pay the full purchase price therefor or such part as the Charity may require. All property shall be removed from the Charity’s premises by the purchaser at his/her expense no later than 15 days following its sale and, if not so removed, will be sent by the Charity at the expense of the purchaser, risk and expense of the purchaser and such added charges will then be added to the purchase price of the object. If the foregoing conditions and other applicable conditions are not complied with, in addition to other remedies available to the Charity by law, including, without limitation, the right to hold the purchaser liable for the bid price, the Charity at their option, may either (a) cancel the sale, or (b) resell the property on 15 days notice to the purchaser and for the account and risk of the purchaser, either publicly or privately, and in such event the purchaser shall be liable for payment of any deficiency, all other charges due hereunder and incidental damages.
  6. All signed bids and sales are final and subject to the terms and conditions stipulated by the donor. No refunds or exchanges on auction items are permitted. All items have been donated to AFL and are sold by AFL and not the donor.
  7. Payment for auction items with values of $1,000 or less will be processed on the credit card used upon registration. Payment for auction items with values greater than $1,000 will be processed with the credit card used upon registration, unless otherwise instructed before May 1st, 2026. No item or package will be sold for less than the minimum bid. Payment should be addressed to American Friends of the Louvre and not to Sotheby’s.
  8. The amount paid by the successful bidder that may be deductible for U.S. tax purposes is limited to the excess of that amount over the fair market value of the item or package, subject to any limitations that might otherwise apply.
  9. (a) In the case of order bids or bids transmitted by mail, email or telephone, Sotheby’s and the Charity are not responsible for any errors or omissions in connection with such bids. Absentee bid forms, describing the item upon which a bid is to be submitted and the maximum bid amount, must be completed, signed, and received by AFL before Friday, April 17, 2026. Completed absentee bid forms should be sent to Constance Barut (cbarut@aflouvre.org.) At the bidder’s election, absentee bids may be submitted anonymously. [(b) All lots [marked with [*]) are offered for sale subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which such lots will not be sold. Sotheby’s may implement such a reserve by bidding up to the reserve on behalf of the Charity.]
  10. All destination packages must be used before April 19, 2027, unless otherwise stated in the package description (no exceptions). Additional restrictions may apply.
  11. The purchaser will be liable for damage to vacation homes and/or property.
  12. Shipping/handling of the winning bidder’s item is not included in the bid price. Shipping will be the responsibility of the winning bidder and will be arranged between the winning bidder and the auction donor, with the assistance of the staff of American Friends of the Louvre, unless otherwise stated in the package description (no exceptions).