Thomas GAINSBOROUGH (1727-1788)

After the Christmas break the art market returns to serious business at the end of January with several events

The winter cease-fire has begun as the auction firms close out their year and prepare for their next sales in the first quarter 2016. Sotheby’s is already well prepared for the sale of

Old art is generally a less profitable segment of the art market than Contemporary art primarily because the latter segment enjoys the price impact of fashion, speculation and frequent turnover whereas old masterpieces are rare, relatively stable in price and sold much less frequently.

The Old Masters art market has two distinct levels: on the one hand there are hundreds of lesser-known artists whose works can often be acquired for 3-figure dollar prices,

Old masters are the pride of the most prestigious museums and a few collectors who are loathe to part with their masterpieces. A shortage of works, and the tempting prestige of a famous signature, means some paintings, but also drawings, are fetching spectacular bids. However, art lovers can turn to signatures that are less famous with the general public or drawings and prints that are everywhere on the market.