Art market research: a guide to methods and sources

Abstract

Ever wonder if that painting gathering dust in the attic is a lost Rembrandt or a forgotten Van Gogh? Here, you'll find a guide to all the resources you need to make that call. This work gives the reader a broad overview of the contemporary art world, focusing on the myriad factors that go into the valuation of an art work and the various resources available to both novice and expert investor. From the gallery to the auction house, this book explores the major venues of art acquisition. It introduces basic terminology for the art collector and covers the basics of artwork analysis and documentation, including a concise overview of database researching methods and online resources. Published sources such as artists' catalogues raisonnes, exhibition catalogues, dictionaries and encyclopedias are identified with full annotation provided. Techniques for research into the history and provenance of a work are also discussed. Appendices provide a list of periodicals covering current art market issues and a directory of auction houses with pertinent website information.