“Issues of authenticity are rampant in the market for Russian avant-garde, but it is no excuse for a witch-hunt.”
Art dealer Itzhak Zarug speaking after charges against him in Germany over fake paintings were dropped.
“The fire was the night before our auction which meant everything had been catalogued and photographed. Although we have lost a lot of records we have these details from our catalogue so we can value everything.”
Auctioneer and valuer Iain M Smith on the fire that destroyed his saleroom building in Perth.
"After two years of uncertainty and decline, the market turned a corner in 2017 with growth in the auction and dealer sectors, as well as at art fairs and online. However, these industry-wide gains were driven by sales at the top end of the market, and away from this premium segment, performance was not all positive, with many businesses coming under pressure.”
Dr Clare McAndrew, founder of Arts Economics, on the findings of her 2018 edition of The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report.
“She was a young beauty, an heiress, but despite our extensive research, we couldn’t identify who she was.”
Sarah Flynn, head of the paintings department at Cheffins, on the difficulty of identifying subjects of paintings following the March 8 auction of a c.1600 portrait of a lady.
“At the moment all the roads are clear. We can’t of course predict what may or may not happen next week but the police have not given any indication that there will be further travel disruption.”
A spokesman for the Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis who announced that it will continue with its planned auction calendar despite the ongoing police activity in the city following the recent nerve agent attack on a former Russian intelligence officer.
