Art Market

Eucharistic Dove

Collectors remain enamoured with Limoges enamels

Vibrant and intricate Limoges enamels from the 12th century are increasingly hard to come by, but collectors are willing to spend

28 Jan 2017
North Italian olivewood and walnut commode en arbalète (late 18th century). The Pedestal; £3,000–£4,000

Could hipsters save the antique furniture trade?

Antique furniture has been unpopular for years – but tastes are changing

27 Jan 2017
The trade now wonders how many more sophisticated forgeries will emerge, after this painting of St Jerome, thought by many to be by Parmigianino, was declared a fake by Sotheby's

Old Masters, new scandal, as a ‘Parmigianino’ painting is deemed a fake

As New York gears up for its Old Master sales, Sotheby’s has declared a work it sold in 2012 a forgery after tests found modern pigments

20 Jan 2017
FAW786 – Thrusting Red (1959, Frank Avray Wilson

Highlights of BRAFA art fair

BRAFA pulls off the tricky task of subtly reinventing itself to suit changing tastes, while catering to every specialism

17 Jan 2017
Meat Porters, (1959), Ralph Brown

Private collections may be a good thing for public institutions

In a time of increased uncertainty for public art institutions, museums are reevaluting their relationships with private collectors

16 Jan 2017

Why the market for Outsider Art is booming in New York

Prices for Outsider Art are now close to matching those fetched by the mainstream

15 Jan 2017

Art market predictions for 2017

Leading art market figures and auction house supremos make their predictions for the year ahead

6 Jan 2017
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

Sotheby’s takes a risk on a potential Velázquez

A ‘bodegón’ thought to be by Velázquez, a Tiepolo head study, and a stag-antler chair are just some of the highlights headed to auction this month

5 Jan 2017
Guercino at Master Drawings New York 2017

A tour around January’s art fair highlights

From British modern art, to antique rugs and Old Master drawings, there’s something for everyone on the art fair circuit this month

2 Jan 2017

The Old Masters stay fresh in London

The London Old Master sales may not have included any blockbuster paintings, but sales were strong for works fresh to the market

17 Dec 2016
St Stephen taken to his Martyrdom, (c. 1625-30), Andrea Vaccaro

The commercial and critical rise of the Caravaggisti

Caravaggio’s radical vision inspired a legion of followers across Europe, whose work is increasingly in the spotlight at museums and auction houses alike

13 Dec 2016
Head study of Dorothy Dene looking downwards, for ‘The Golden Stairs’, by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones © Christie’s Images Limited 2016 (detail)

Christie’s offers the makings of a Burne-Jones masterpiece

Not one, but two groups of preparatory work for Edward Burne-Jones’s monumental painting ‘The Golden Stairs’ have made it into the same sale

9 Dec 2016
St Joseph and the Christ Child (c. 1655-60), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Christie’s London (£3m–£5m)

A marvellous Murillo comes to Christie’s

Auction highlights this month include a masterful but unfashionable Murillo, and a captivating Egyptian sculpture of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet

5 Dec 2016

Optimism at Art Basel in Miami Beach

Dealers are optimistic that sales will be strong despite a more muted atmosphere than previous years; plus the latest art market news and comment

2 Dec 2016
A bronze reclining figure of the Hermaphrodite (probably mid 17th century), Italy. Cast from the antique marble restored by Ippolito Buzzi in 1621-23. Christie's, estimate £200,000-300,000

Why a sleeping hermaphrodite is causing a stir at Christie’s

Horace Walpole’s aunt once quipped that the hermaphrodite was ‘the only happy couple she ever saw’. A bronze variation on the theme comes to auction soon…

28 Nov 2016
Rendering of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (Zeitz MOCAA), Cape Town, which is scheduled to open in September 2017. Courtesy Heatherwick Studio

Does South Africa have what it takes to become a global art market hub?

With a new museum due to open in Cape Town soon, a growing gallery scene, and burgeoning international interest in contemporary African art, signs are good

24 Nov 2016
Meule (Grainstack) (1891), by Claude Monet, sold for a record $81.4m at Christie's New York.

New York’s art market holds steady despite political upheaval

A look at the highlights at Sotheby’s and Christie’s – plus a major sale in Stockholm, and the latest from Abu Dhabi

18 Nov 2016
Moon jar (18th century; Korean, Joseon dynasty, 1392–1897)

Will Korean ceramics regain their value on the global market?

‘People put great stock in the history. Without it, these objects are worth much less.’

16 Nov 2016
A tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl and gold piqué rosewater ewer and basin (first half 18th century), Naples. Sotheby's: estimate €400,000–600,000

The historic tortoiseshell work that is nothing short of a masterpiece

There are no better examples of piqué posé tortoiseshell in the world. How often may this be said of a work of art on the market?

14 Nov 2016

Our guide to this month’s European art fairs and events

There’s something for everyone as Cologne Fine Art, WIKAM, Art & Antique Hofburg and the Winter Art & Antiques Fair all open

11 Nov 2016
Abstraktes Bild (1994), Gerhard Richter. Courtesy Christie's New York

David Bowie and Richard Attenborough’s art collections come to auction

A look at the star attractions at Sotheby’s in London this November

10 Nov 2016
TEFAF New York Fall

Sotheby’s spreads its wings even further, plus the best of the autumn fairs

Sotheby’s purchases the Mei Moses Art Indices; top sales from TEFAF New York; and early sales at Asian Art in London

6 Nov 2016
Asian Art in London Art Award: The Winners

The Asian Art in London Art Award: The Winners

Apollo presents the winners of this year’s Asian Art in London Art Award

3 Nov 2016

Highlights from Artissima 2016

With over 190 galleries and a number of new initiatives, Artissima’s 23rd edition promises to be bigger and better

1 Nov 2016