Haunch of Venison, the Christie’s-owned gallery in London and New York, confirmed yesterday that it would close its Chelsea space in March and cease representing artists in order to focus exclusively on the secondary market. Christie’s plans to combine the gallery’s business with its private sales department, and will use the London Yard for viewings.

None of the staff, including international director Emilio Steinberger, have announced their plans going forward. In a statement from the gallery’s publicist, Christie’s said:

We wish to thank all the incredible artists, staff, colleagues, and friends with whom we have worked in the primary market. As we move forward to the next chapter and our focus on the secondary market, we look forward to working with clients both new and old in the years to come.

Christie’s owner Francois Pinault hasn’t commented on the decision, although some insiders have speculated that he never intended for the gallery to be permanent. In its five-year run, it represented the valuable estate of Tom Wesselmann and artists such as Jose Parla, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Bill Fontana, Katie Paterson, and Eve Sussman.

— Rachel Corbett

Tags: Christie's, Galleries, Haunch of Venison, Rachel Corbett, Tom Wesselmann