Seth Armitage Joins Heritage’s European Art Department in New York City

Armitage brings more than two decades of expertise in 19th-century European Art, a rich auction history and high-level appraisal work to the auction house DALLAS, Texas (May 13, 2025) — Heritage Auctions is pleased to announce that Seth W. Armitage has joined its Fine Art Department as Co-Director and Senior Specialist of European Art. He is based in Heritage’s New York City office. A Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America, Armitage brings more than 20 years of direct auction experience to Heritage, most notably from his leadership roles at Sotheby’s where he served as Vice President, Senior Specialist and Co-Head of the 19th Century European Art Department. There, he was instrumental in curating and selling auctions that achieved record-breaking results and tended to capture the majority market share in his category. Among his most celebrated accomplishments: Armitage has led the rediscovery and sale of several previously unattributed or lost works by major 19th-century artists, resulting in exceptional returns at auction. “We are thrilled to welcome Seth to the Heritage team,” says Ed Beardsley, Heritage’s Vice President and Managing Director of Fine & Decorative Arts. “His knowledge of 19th-century art, his scholarly approach to appraisal and cataloging and his ability to connect with both seasoned and new collectors make him a tremendous asset as we continue to grow.” Known for his deep subject matter expertise and clear, empathetic advisory style, Armitage has provided appraisals and strategic guidance for high-net-worth collectors, institutions and estates. His catalogue essays are recognized for their academic rigor and he has built longstanding relationships with the field’s experts and scholars. “Seth's combination of curatorial experience, market savvy and client trust aligns perfectly with our mission at Heritage,” says Dr. Marianne Berardi, Heritage's Co-Director of European Art. “He brings great personal energy and matchless knowledge of 19th -century art to our European Art team.” Armitage earned his Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Chicago with a focus on American and French 19th-century art. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with departmental honors from Vassar College. He is USPAP-compliant and offers expert appraisal services for fair market value, insurance and charitable contributions. “I’m honored to join Heritage’s European Art team and contribute to its growing reputation in the fine art space,” says Armitage. “I’m especially excited to work with collectors and institutions on finding, evaluating and bringing great works of art in this diverse, dynamic category to auction.” Armitage is currently seeking top-quality consignments of 19th-century European art and may be reached at setha@ha.com. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 1,750,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 6,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Christina Rees, Director of Communications 214-409-1341; CRees@HA.com