The global art market – an overview of 2011

Following our summaries of the performance of the Art Market Confidence Index and of the French art market in 2011, we are closing the series with a round-up of the global art auction market in 2011.

Auctioneers were over-optimistic…

As we suspected in our previous Insight article, (Prices disconnected from market reality?), a number of the estimates for the masterpieces offered at the New York sales on 1 & 2 November were disconnected from the market reality.

Overview of 2011 first semester

Against a backdrop of slow economic growth during the first six months of 2011 and a spreading debt crisis that has amplified the panic on financial markets,

Prestige sales in New York produce mixed results

Although generally considered safer (and less volatile) investments, the Modern Masters failed to generate the estimated results at Christie’s and Sotheby’s May sales in New York, generating a combined total of just $285.65m from their Impressionist & Modern Art sessions.

Prestige sales in New York

On 3 and 4 May 2011, Christie’s and Sotheby’s will kick off the annual series of multi million-dollar auctions with their Impressionist & Modern Art sales, followed by their Post-War & Contemporary Art sales on 10 and 11 May.

Living artists British vs. American

Every other Friday Artprice posts a theme-based auction ranking. This week’s ranking focuses on the 10 best auction results for living artists.

The sale of the Ullens collection confirms the strength of Chinese art

Two weeks after the news of China’s domination of the global art market, all eyes were focused on the sale of the famous Ullens Collection at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on 3 April 2011.

Shock wave through the art market… China now ranks first, ahead of the USA and the UK

According to Thierry Ehrmann, founder and CEO of Artprice, the world leader in art market information, “this unprecedented news represents a turning point in the history of the global art market: China is now the number 1 in terms of Fine art auction revenue”.

Contemporary Art sales in February: a bold selection with records expected

The big Contemporary Art sales begin just a few days after the Impressionist & Modern Art sales in London.

The Dantesque work of Matthew Barney

Matthew Barney is an unusual person, known to the general public mainly for being the partner of the Icelandic singer Björk.

Contemporary paintings: the Top 10 results in 2010

Every fortnight Artprice posts a new or updated ranking in its Alternate-Friday Top Series. The topic of today's TOP article is the 10 best auction results in 2010 in the Contemporary paintings segment.

Autumn sales 2010: return of competition!

The New York November 2010 sales doubled the revenue total from the same sales in 2009.

Impressionist & Modern Art sales in New York: better results…

Sotheby's and Christie's have both posted improved figures after their Impressionist & Modern Art evening sales in New York compared with the same sales in 2009. The unsold rates are substantially lower at between 20 and 26% and their revenue totals are up.

Takashi Murakami – Western-style Manga Art

The world’s most successful contemporary artists also have excellent business acumen.

Contemporary Russian Art

Although contemporary Russian artists have not yet generated the exceptional prices that artists like Damien HIRST or Jeff KOONS command, they nevertheless represent a dynamic market that is ready for broader international exposure.

Sculpture: top 10 auction results

Every fortnight Artprice provides you with a new or updated ranking in its Alternate-Friday Top Series. The theme of today's TOP article is the Top 10 auction results recorded in sculpture.

June 2010: major sales in London … and in Paris!

The major London sales during June were stacked full of high quality works: an ultra-rare Manet self-portrait, a Fauvist work by André Derain with an extraordinary background and an absinthe drinker from Picasso’s ‘Blue Period’ - the results could not fail to better the previous years’ totals.

Paris / London – forthcoming Impressionist & Modern Art sales

Before the art world settles down to a quiet summer, we can look forward to some profitable auction results in London at the sale of the Polaroid collection (to pay its debts) on 21 and 22 June, the Impressionist & Modern Art sales of 23 and 24 June and the Contemporary Art sales of 28 and 29 June.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s anticipate price increases

For their Contemporary Art sales on 11 and 12 May 2010, Christie’s and Sotheby’s are betting on high prices for masterpieces signed Warhol, Klein and Rothko. But above all, the catalogues contain a number of major works that the crisis has withheld from the market.

Lucian Freud in Paris

From 10 March - 19 July 2010, the Centre Pompidou in Paris is hosting an exhibition of Lucian FREUD ’s work. The British artist has not been exhibited in France since the first retrospective at the same museum in 1987.