A $360,000 Gaming System – Really?
In the late 1980s, Nintendo and Sony formed a partnership to create the Nintendo PlayStation. The idea was to incorporate a CD-ROM into the popular Super Nintendo entertainment/gaming system, but the partnership dissolved and the prototypes of the gaming system … More…
London’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales
Following up rather weak Impressionist and Modern Sales, Sotheby’s and Christie’s offered their Post-War and Contemporary Art selections with modest expectations… going in, Sotheby’s had projected a nearly identical pre-sale estimate to last year while Christie’s pre-sale numbers were way … More…
Shotgun Shoots By Estimate
Wyatt Earp (1848 – 1929) was a lawman of the Old West and best known for his involvement in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. This shoot-out is regarded as the most famous gunfight in American Wild … More…
Jane Austen – Always A Hit!
Does anyone buy books anymore? Apparently so, as six first editions by Jane Austen made history at a recent sale. It is always noteworthy when any of her first edition books hit the auction block, but to have all six … More…
London’s Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Sales
February was a busy month for us, bouncing from fair to fair, and it was also a busy month in the auction arena, so we’re going to play a bit of catch-up. Over in London, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s hosted … More…
How To Safely Navigate The Art Market: Framing
Finding an appropriate frame for a work of art is very important. The right frame can greatly enhance the look of your artwork, while the wrong frame can detract from its overall appearance. Having said that, please keep in mind … More…
More Hot Water For Boone?
Back in 2018, art dealer Mary Boone pleaded guilty (Gotta Love Creative Accounting … Except When You Get Caught) to falsifying her 2011 tax return. Then in February of 2019, is was reported (Don’t Mess with the IRS) that Boone … More…
The Silver (Lining) Cup
A tale that takes us from the dark to the bright side…. The MET announced that they returned a 16th-century silver stem cup to the heirs of Eugen Gutmann. The prized cup was part of an extensive silver collection of … More…
Comments on the Art Market – Volume 230
It is out! Volume 230 of our monthly newsletter Comments on the Art Market. In this issue, we cover the two gallery exhibitions: Mark Laguë’s A Big Apple Adventure and Antoine Blanchard’s A Trip Down Memory Lane; upcoming shows in … More…
How To Safely Navigate The Art Market – Lighting
So, you may be wondering, what is the best way to light a work of art? Natural light (sunlight) that filters into a room is, of course, the easiest. It is important to keep in mind that you do … More…
Sotheby’s 19th-Century Sale
At the end of January, Sotheby’s presented a rather lackluster sale of 19th-century European paintings; a sale illustrating the continued difficulty auction rooms are having sourcing good quality works. What I will say is that I was surprised that some … More…
Spike in Fake Prints
It was recently reported that authorities in Basil, Switzerland, are prosecuting a local art expert who they say sold hundreds of fake prints that he passed off online as the work of Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso … More…
Royal Family Drama
Recently, we have been bombarded with news of the British Royal Family and a little matter called Megxit; well 84 years ago, Harry’s great-uncle “Eddie” had to make some big choices too about his family and the throne. In January … More…
Childhood Passion Pays Off
A childhood passion turns into a big score for Simon Hope, founder of H & H Classics, a British auction house that specializes in classic cars and motorcycles. His love of cars began at an early age when he would … More…
Dentist’s Get Rich Scheme Backfires!
Back in 2017, an unnamed dentist from Neuss, Germany, presented 20 works by Picasso to a number of auction rooms. The only issue, they were all fakes (with falsified certificates of authenticity), and he was caught. On January 28, 2020, … More…
Comments on the Art Market – Volume 231
We are pleased to announce that Volume 231 of our Comments on the Art Market was just released. In this issue we cover our current gallery exhibitions, the Charleston show, Todd Casey’s new book, In the News (article on Forbes.com … More…