Modern & Contemporary Art Internship, London

London

Phillips is currently seeking organised and motivated individuals to fill a fixed-term 6 month Internship in the Modern & Contemporary Art department. This internship program will run across two intake periods. Two interns will join from 13 August 2026 through 12 February 2027, and an additional two interns will join from 21 October 2026 through 21 April 2027.

The deadline to apply is 3 July at 5:00pm UK time

Based in our London Headquarters at Berkeley Square, the primary focus of the internship will be to support the MCA department with their upcoming auctions, and to gain an insight into the day-to-day operations of a successful international auction house. The internship is particularly suitable for applicants with a strong interest in Modern and Contemporary Art.

The intern will assist in carrying out a range of tasks to support the successful delivery of auctions within the department, including provenance, art historical research and art market research, assisting with proposals, valuations and general administration. The successful candidate will gain experience in a fast-paced and collegiate environment that contributes to their own professional development.

Phillips values a workforce with a wide variety of experiences, backgrounds and skills and we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will be involved with a variety of different tasks including:
• Assisting the department with provenance research and managing the department library.
• Researching works for the upcoming auctions – including traditional research using the internal Phillips library, as well as external libraries in London and also online research using auction databases and other internet sources.
• Writing catalogue essays.
• Supporting the preparation, production and coordination of valuations.
• Assisting with installation of auction previews – including preparation of lot folders and mounting of lot cards.
• General department administrative tasks as assigned by line manager.

Professional Skills and Experience

• Excellent and proven research capabilities.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and ability to contribute ideas in a collaborative environment.
• Highly detail-oriented, meticulous and eager to learn.
• The ability to deal effectively and efficiently with multiple tasks while working to meet strict deadlines.
• Professional manner in the workplace.

Education and Training

• The ideal candidates will have a passion for art or the art world and be a history of art graduate or other a relevant major.

Working Conditions

• Hours of work are 40hpw (9am to 6pm)
• There will be times when you are expected to work occasional evenings around sale

Additional Info

This is a six-month internship placement and at present, there is no scope for this to develop into a permanent position. All candidates must be eligible to work in the UK as we are unable to assist with visa applications for our internship placements.

To apply please visit: https://phillipsauctioneers.bamboohr.com/careers/539 Please be advised: due to the high volume of applicants, we are only able to contact those candidates whose skills and backgrounds best fit the needs of the open position.To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to careers@phillips.com.