Blog

A collection of essays, reflections, and explorations in the world of art. Each piece invites you to pause and see the world through a different lens.

Showing 15 of 324 articles

How Art Gets Appraised: The Process of Determining What a Work Is Worth

Art Business

14 min read·August 9, 2026

How Art Gets Appraised: The Process of Determining What a Work Is Worth

"An appraisal is an opinion of value." Appraisers must comply with the 2024 Edition USPAP, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. A certified appraisal costs $200 to $500 per item. The IRS requires a qualified appraisal for donations over $5,000. Here is how art gets appraised, and why it matters.

Open Edition vs Limited Edition Prints: What the Difference Means for Buyers

Art Business

14 min read·August 8, 2026

Open Edition vs Limited Edition Prints: What the Difference Means for Buyers

"Limited edition prints are artworks produced in a fixed number, authorised by the artist or their estate. Once an edition is complete, no further works are made in that format. Because supply is capped from the outset, scarcity is built in." The print market has grown its share in the auction market by 52 percent between 2015 and 2025. Here is what the difference means for buyers.

Copyright in Art: Who Owns an Image and What Artists Can Actually Do

Art Business

12 min read·August 7, 2026

Copyright in Art: Who Owns an Image and What Artists Can Actually Do

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith that Warhol's silkscreen of Prince was not fair use. "Commentators in the art world feared for the future of appropriation art." Richard Prince lost again. Jeff Koons won some, lost some. Here is what copyright in art actually means.

Los Angeles as an Art City: Light, Space, and the California Art Scene

Art History

10 min read·August 7, 2026

Los Angeles as an Art City: Light, Space, and the California Art Scene

Los Angeles became a global art city through the Light and Space movement, Ferus Gallery, CalArts, the Getty Center, and a gallery scene that grew from Venice Beach to Culver City. From Ed Ruscha to Robert Irwin, here is how LA built an art scene unlike any other.

Berlin's Art Scene: Division, Reunification, and Creative Reinvention

Art History

10 min read·August 6, 2026

Berlin's Art Scene: Division, Reunification, and Creative Reinvention

Berlin's art scene was shaped by division and reunification. From Expressionism and Dada to the Bauhaus, from Nazi destruction to Cold War split, from East German Socialist Realism to the East Side Gallery, Berlin has reinvented itself as an art city again and again. Here is how.

Repatriation Debates: Should Museums Return What Colonialism Took?

Art Business

12 min read·August 6, 2026

Repatriation Debates: Should Museums Return What Colonialism Took?

"The Parthenon Marbles have not budged from the literal and figurative centre of the British Museum in London since they were purchased from Lord Elgin in 1816." With new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham backing their return, and Germany returning the Benin Bronzes in 2022, should museums return what colonialism took?

Florence and the Renaissance: Why This One City Changed Everything

Art History

9 min read·August 5, 2026

Florence and the Renaissance: Why This One City Changed Everything

Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Medici bank funded Brunelleschi's dome, Donatello's sculpture, and Botticelli's paintings. Linear perspective, humanism, and the idea of the artist as genius all started here. Here is why one city changed the course of Western art.

The Economics of the Art World: Who Makes Money and Who Doesn't

Art Business

12 min read·August 5, 2026

The Economics of the Art World: Who Makes Money and Who Doesn't

The global art market reached $59.6 billion in 2025, still below the 2022 peak of $67.8 billion. The US accounts for 44%. Dealers' total operating costs rose by an estimated 5%. 80 percent of survey respondents said President Donald Trump's tariffs negatively impacted their business. Who makes money, and who doesn't?

Forgery in Art: The Most Famous Fakes and How They Were Caught

Art Business

13 min read·August 4, 2026

Forgery in Art: The Most Famous Fakes and How They Were Caught

Wolfgang Beltracchi faked "between 1000 and 1300" paintings, the forger of the century. Han van Meegeren sold a fake Vermeer to Hermann Göring for the equivalent of $7 million. Tom Keating claimed 2,000 fakes. John Myatt's forgeries fooled every major auction house. Here are the most famous fakes and how they were caught.

New York and Art: From the Ashcan School to the Global Market

Art History

10 min read·August 4, 2026

New York and Art: From the Ashcan School to the Global Market

New York replaced Paris as the art capital after World War II. The Ashcan School, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and the gallery system of 57th Street and Chelsea made New York the center of the art world. Here is how it happened.

Art Theft: Famous Heists, Recovery Stories, and the Black Market

Art Business

15 min read·August 3, 2026

Art Theft: Famous Heists, Recovery Stories, and the Black Market

On March 18, 1990, two thieves dressed as police officers stole 13 artworks from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, now valued at more than $500 million. It remains the largest art theft in history. 36 years later, retired FBI agent Geoffrey Kelly has published "Thirteen Perfect Fugitives." None of the works have been recovered. A $10 million reward remains.

Paris and Art: Why the City Became the Capital of the Art World

Art History

10 min read·August 3, 2026

Paris and Art: Why the City Became the Capital of the Art World

Paris became the art capital of the world through the Salon, the Academie des Beaux-Arts, Impressionism, Cubism, and a gallery system that turned artists into global figures. Here is how one city shaped modern art.

Art Insurance: What It Covers and When You Need It

Art Business

13 min read·August 2, 2026

Art Insurance: What It Covers and When You Need It

"A standard property policy is not designed to protect fine art." AXA XL has been insuring art for over 60 years and became a Global Lead Partner of TEFAF in 2025. Coverage includes all risks of physical loss or damage, compensation for depreciation, and worldwide protection. Here is what art insurance covers.

The Role of Art Advisors: Who Uses Them and What They Actually Do

Art Business

13 min read·August 1, 2026

The Role of Art Advisors: Who Uses Them and What They Actually Do

"85% of art advisors operate independently. 65% manage 10 or fewer clients." Josh Baer reckons around 70% of contemporary and Modern sales at the big auction houses run through advisers. Bank of America just launched an art consulting service for clients with $100M+ net worth. Here is what art advisors actually do.

How Auction Houses Value Art: Provenance, Condition, and Comparables

Art Business

12 min read·July 31, 2026

How Auction Houses Value Art: Provenance, Condition, and Comparables

"Auction houses do not value art in the abstract. They value what they believe they can defend in a live market." In November 2025, Sotheby's New York totaled $1.17 billion. A Klimt portrait sold for $236.4 million, the second-highest auction price ever. Here is how auction houses value art.

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Blog

How Art Gets Appraised: The Process of Determining What a Work Is Worth

Open Edition vs Limited Edition Prints: What the Difference Means for Buyers

Copyright in Art: Who Owns an Image and What Artists Can Actually Do

Los Angeles as an Art City: Light, Space, and the California Art Scene

Berlin's Art Scene: Division, Reunification, and Creative Reinvention

Repatriation Debates: Should Museums Return What Colonialism Took?

Florence and the Renaissance: Why This One City Changed Everything

The Economics of the Art World: Who Makes Money and Who Doesn't

Forgery in Art: The Most Famous Fakes and How They Were Caught

New York and Art: From the Ashcan School to the Global Market

Art Theft: Famous Heists, Recovery Stories, and the Black Market

Paris and Art: Why the City Became the Capital of the Art World

Art Insurance: What It Covers and When You Need It

The Role of Art Advisors: Who Uses Them and What They Actually Do

How Auction Houses Value Art: Provenance, Condition, and Comparables

Featured art prints

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