Scott Reyburn

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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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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?

Auctionsanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Arts fundinganalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Auctionsanalysis

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

Auctionsanalysis

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

Carlie Porterfield. , with additional reporting by Scott Reyburn
Art marketanalysis

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"

Conferencesanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

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

Art marketanalysis

What lies behind the demise of British art and antiques fairs?

The problematic trend could reflect a wider international problem for the art market

Does the West really care about human rights and art washing?

As the art world continues to do business in authoritarian regions, some question its claim to being a force for universal good

Art marketanalysis

How online buyers of luxury collectibles reshaped auctions in an economic slump

Turnover is increasing at a time of global turmoil—and it is mostly down to growing digital sales and new tastes among the 1%

The donating game: How artists like Tracey Emin are driving philanthropy in the art world

The British artist is among those who have donated millions of pounds’ worth of art to charities—perhaps we could all take a leaf out of her book?

Are charity art auctions, not donations, the new model for offsetting taxes?

Paul Allen’s estate has pledged proceeds of its $1.6bn Christie’s sale to unnamed philanthropic causes, while FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried vaguely promised to give away his fortune

Art marketcomment

The elephant in the booth: the environmental toll of art fairs

With a host of identikit international fairs showing works already viewed online and often already sold, is there a point to generating all those air miles?

Brexit woes contribute to slim Old Master sales in London

Nonetheless, buoyed by the Grasset collection, Sotheby's posted its best results in six seasons and Christie's sale was up 26% up on last December

Old Mastersanalysis

Old Masters need reinventing to avoid being frozen out

Last year, European Old Masters represented just 4% of the world’s $26.3bn art auction sales. In our contemporary-obsessed world, we’re just not paying them enough attention

Can art actually help improve Saudi Arabia's abject human rights record?

Culture is being used by Saudi Arabia to project an image of a state that “enriches lives, celebrates national identity and builds understanding between people”

Five years since the $450m Salvator Mundi sale: a first-hand account of the nonsensical auction

At the record-breaking sale at Christie's New York on 15 November 2017, the audience gasped and whooped as if they were at a very exclusive firework display