Horta
Horta is a family-run Belgian auction house in Brussels, conducting monthly public sales of art, antiques, jewelry, watches, and wine, with a secondary estimation office in Knokke-Duinbergen and online bidding via Drouot Digital.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Horta does
Horta (legal name: Hôtel de Ventes Horta nv) is a Belgian public limited company operating a traditional brick-and-mortar auction house headquartered at Avenue de Roodebeek 70-74 in Brussels, with a secondary estimation office in Knokke-Duinbergen. Founded around 1997 and family-led by Comte Dominique de Villegas de Saint-Pierre Jette (Commissaire-priseur) and Comtesse Fabienne de Villegas de Saint-Pierre Jette (Administrateur), the firm conducts monthly public auctions of art and antiques — typically 250 to 500 lots per session across paintings, sculptures, jewelry, watches, silverware, furniture, glassware, carpets, and wine — held on Monday and Tuesday evenings at its Brussels sales hall. The core technology stack is modest: a website (horta.be) with a personal catalog system ('Mon Catalogue'), printed and digital catalogues, annual Yearbooks, and integration with the Drouot Digital online live bidding platform (auctioneer ID 922), supplemented by telephone and written-order bidding channels.
Horta monetizes through a dual-commission model — a 22% buyer's premium on hammer price (plus €1 per lot exit charge and a 3% surcharge for Drouot Digital buyers) and a 15% seller's commission — with ancillary recurring revenue from catalogue subscriptions (€70 Belgium / €100 international for 10 annual issues) and Yearbook sales (€25 current / €5-10 prior editions). Its customer base is fragmented across individual collectors, estate sellers, and trade dealers, with no disclosed enterprise accounts. The company operates under the regulatory umbrella of the Royale Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Auction Houses and is GDPR-compliant. With a headcount of 1-10 employees, no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no M&A activity, Horta functions as a stable, privately-held regional auction house focused on Belgian and proximate European art and luxury collectibles markets.
Horta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Horta
- Legal name
- HOTEL DE VENTES HORTA nv
- Website
- https://horta.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Horta is a family-run Belgian auction house in Brussels, conducting monthly public sales of art, antiques, jewelry, watches, and wine, with a secondary estimation office in Knokke-Duinbergen and online bidding via Drouot Digital.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Horta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Auction House Services
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Art Dealers (459920)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services (CRAKAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Horta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Horta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Buyer's Premium: 22% surcharge on hammer price charged to buyers, plus 1 euro exit charge per lot. Additional 3% surcharge for Drouot Digital buyers.
- Seller's Commission: 15% commission on hammer price from sellers, as mutually agreed between parties.
- Catalogue Subscriptions: Annual subscription for 10 catalogues: 70 euros for Belgium, 100 euros for abroad.
- Yearbook Sales: Current year yearbook sold for 25 euros at offices or 27.50 euros by post. Previous years at 5-10 euros.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual catalogue subscription (10 catalogues) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Yearbook (current year) |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Yearbook (previous years) |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Horta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Horta (Hôtel de Ventes Horta) is a Brussels-based Belgian auction house that conducts monthly public auctions of art and antiques, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, watches, silverware, furniture, glassware, and wine. Each sale features 250-500 lots across two evening sessions held on Mondays and Tuesdays, with pre-sale exhibitions, expert in-house valuation services at Brussels and Knokke-Duinbergen, and multiple bidding channels including in-person, telephone, written orders, and online live bidding via the Drouot Digital platform.
Product overview
Horta is a Belgian auction house operating as a monthly art and antique sales platform. The core offering consists of live auction sessions held in Brussels on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the September 2026 sale featuring lots 1-500 across two evenings. The product portfolio centers on Mon Catalogue (personal account system for lot tracking and online bidding), annual Yearbooks documenting sale results, catalog subscriptions for ten annual auctions, evaluation services at Brussels and Knokke locations, and multiple bidding methods including in-person, written orders, telephone, and Drouot Live online. The company also publishes downloadable PDF catalogs and video reportages. The auction house handles diverse categories including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, watches, silverware, furniture, crystal, and wine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Auction Sessions
Companies that use Horta
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Horta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Horta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Royale Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Auction HousescoreHorta is a member of the Royale Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Auction Houses (Chambre Royale Belgo-Luxembourgeoise des Salles de Ventes), the professional body governing auction houses in Belgium and Luxembourg.
- Drouot DigitalcoreDrouot Digital provides the online live bidding platform for Horta auctions. Buyers can register and bid remotely through drouot.com with an additional 3% surcharge. Horta is listed as auctioneer ID 922 on the Drouot platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Horta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Artcurial: Paris-based French auction house conducting regular sales of art, antiques, jewelry, watches, and luxury goods. Closely comparable mid-market European auction house with similar category mix, buyer demographics, and monthly sale cadence.
- Drouot: Operates the Drouot Digital platform on which Horta lists and the parent auction complex in Paris with 70+ auctioneer members. Directly comparable auction venue operator with overlapping categories and bidder pools.
- Pierre Bergé & Associés: Parisian auction house specializing in art, antiques, and luxury collectibles. Comparable as a mid-sized European auctioneer with similar lot mix, monthly cadence, and bidder base.
- Lempertz: Cologne-based German auction house, one of the oldest in Europe, holding regular sales of fine art, antiques, and luxury. Highly comparable to Horta in scale, category focus, and European mid-market positioning.
- Binoche et Giquello: Paris-based auction house focusing on art, manuscripts, and curiosities. Comparable mid-sized European auctioneer operating in similar price segments and category mix.
Broad incumbents
- Dorotheum: Vienna-based international auction house covering art, jewelry, antiques, and luxury. A larger but directly comparable Central European auctioneer with overlapping categories and bidder geography.
- Christie's: Global fine art and luxury auction leader. Not a direct scale competitor but operates in the same categories (paintings, jewelry, watches, wine) and increasingly competes with Horta in the online mid-market segment.
- Heritage Auctions: US-headquartered global auction house spanning art, luxury, jewelry, and collectibles. Operates with a strong online bidding model that overlaps with Horta's Drouot-based digital offering.
- Bonhams: International auction house with strong European presence across art, jewelry, watches, and luxury. Comparable in category coverage and bidder base, though significantly larger and with broader geographic reach.
Regional players
- Bukowskis: Stockholm-based Nordic auction house operating in art, antiques, and luxury. Comparable mid-sized auctioneer model with monthly cadence, but serving a different (Nordic) regional market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Horta social profiles
Digital presenceHorta compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Horta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Horta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Horta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Horta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Horta
What does Horta do?
Horta (Hôtel de Ventes Horta) is a Brussels-based Belgian auction house that conducts monthly public auctions of art and antiques, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, watches, silverware, furniture, glassware, and wine. Each sale features 250-500 lots across two evening sessions held on Mondays and Tuesdays, with pre-sale exhibitions, expert in-house valuation services at Brussels and Knokke-Duinbergen, and multiple bidding channels including in-person, telephone, written orders, and online live bidding via the Drouot Digital platform.
Is Horta a public or private company?
Horta is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Horta founded?
Horta was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Horta based?
Horta is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Horta make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Buyer's Premium is the primary driver. The others are seller's Commission, catalogue Subscriptions and yearbook Sales.
Who are Horta's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Artcurial, Drouot, Pierre Bergé & Associés, Lempertz and Binoche et Giquello. Broad incumbents are Dorotheum, Christie's, Heritage Auctions and Bonhams. Bukowskis is listed as a regional player.
Does Horta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Horta.
What industry is Horta in?
Horta's product category is Art Auction House Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAKAF, Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry), with a secondary code of CRAKAKAJ, Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5944.