£10m Botticelli leads London's pre-Christmas Old Master sales
Nine bidders competed for the 15th century painting of a Virgin and child at Sotheby's, while Zoffany, Tiepolo and Van Dyck topped auctions at Bonhams and Christie's
How luxury buyers are changing art as we know it
The trade is increasingly reliant on an ultra-wealthy international clientele that lives what may be termed a ‘luxury lifestyle’
How ‘high street’ art galleries are achieving serious sales success
They might not be hailed by the critics, but the likes of Opera and Halcyon are forging ahead
What if luxury is art sellers’ salvation, and not their sin
New moves by Gagosian, Sotheby’s and others aim to boost the art trade via high-end retail
Global turmoil and rising taxes tilt art trade towards new era
Increasingly unsettled elites are making a struggling market even less predictable
As collectors’ tastes for ornate interiors ebbs, challenges to the trade rise
The popularity of the ‘less is more’ look is putting art and antiques dealers under pressure
Muted Old Master evening sales in London provide relative bargains but no fireworks
Slim auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's saw a rediscovered Quentin Metsys and a modestly priced Botticelli come to the block
Does the De la Cruz collection sale mark the end of an era?
Reduced value, mixed results dent idea of contemporary art as investable asset
Have artist-run shows lost their market-making power?
The current focus on biennials obscures a past when artists reset the agenda
Sotheby’s new fee structure is a highwire act of risk and reward
Auction house’s bold changes that favour buyers could bolster profits—or they could backfire
Is the art trade choosing to ignore a wider world in crisis?
Amid threats to freedom, career moves and censorship become hard to tell apart
Maastricht’s historic Tefaf fair bets on new attractions
With contemporary works, fresh initiatives and a shorter runtime, Tefaf hopes to extend its appeal while keeping its special magic alive
Will the art market rebound? That might not be the right question
A resurgence in top-end spending would only reprise the recent status quo
The Old Master trade is still seeking new ways to restore it to life
The category’s extraordinary works sell well, but the middle and lower ends of the market are in need of new ideas
Neglected middle class may be key to growing stagnant art market
The spotlight tends to fall on big spenders, but what of “professional class” buyers, who often feel intimidated by the art world?
Rediscovered paintings by Rembrandt and Canaletto fail to turbocharge London Old Master auctions
Evening sales at Sotheby's and Christie's drew in £19.4m and £21.3m, respectively
What makes a masterpiece? It depends who is selling…
Traditionally reserved for an artist’s greatest works, the term “masterpiece” now appears routinely in auction catalogues, and may just mean a work is good, novel—or expensive
The magic behind Sotheby's Freddie Mercury sale
There was a certain degree of sleight of hand at play by the auction house to achieve 100% of lots sold
Mind the (shrinking) gap: Paris gains on leading London
The debate over Europe’s art capital intensifies as post-Brexit red tape complicates business for UK art sellers and more major galleries set up shop in the French capital
Private sector picks up the pieces as UK government cuts art education funding
While university arts departments are being dismantled, dealers and auction houses provide learning programmes
The art market is on a bumpy ride in 2023
Major auction houses have posted steep falls in turnover for the year so far—but some categories, such as luxury goods, are booming
What goes around comes around: the art of finance
As a show at the Monnaie de Paris explores how money and creativity have been intertwined since the early 19th century, Sotheby’s is set to move into the Whitney’s former home
Long-lost canvas by Flemish painter Michael Sweerts propels Christie's Old Master sale in London to its best result in seven years
The auction house made £53.9m (with fees) from 38 lots, and saw a new record established for Fra Angelico
Selective buying leaves 35% of lots unsold at Sotheby's Old Master sale in London
The £39.4m auction was led by a 15th-century painting by the Master of the Baroncelli Portraits at £7.9m, while a new record was set for a work by William Hogarth—albeit sold to a single bid
'The prestigious places are the worst': low pay still dogs the art industry, despite optimistic salary survey
The art market salary report offers insights into salaried employment but the impact of low wages—and having children—in a time of rapid inflation are missing
Sotheby’s will pay $100m for the Whitney Museum’s Marcel Breuer building
The auction house expects to move into the Madison Avenue building in 2025, vacating its current York Avenue headquarters
Wealthy American art collectors capitalise on tax-efficient gift scheme
Donor Advised Funds allow individuals to claim tax relief while they are still alive through making gifts of art and other assets—without obligation to pay out money to charity straight away
Artists paid less than £3 an hour for public art commissions, report finds
The Structurally F–cked survey looked at artists' pay and conditions, and found a "culture of low fees, unpaid labour, and systemic exploitation"
Art for Tomorrow conference | What can art do for our democratically depleted, digitally distracted societies?
The role of art in a time of crisis was the subject of a three-day discussion between leading cultural figures in Florence last week
Is art once again becoming a lifestyle choice rather than an asset?
Results from the recent auction season, where young, “red-chip” artists surpassed expectations, while big names of Modern art went unsold, point to a shift in how collectors think