The Value of Art
Money, Power, Beauty
Published on 31. March 2012
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-3-7913-4638-0 (ISBN)
Description
In straightforward prose that doesn't mystify art or deny its special allure, prominent art dealer and market expert Michael Findlay offers a close up and personal view of almost 50 years in the business of art. He engagingly explains art's three kinds of value: commercial; social; and what he terms its essential value - the range of responses to art that we as individuals have depending on our culture, education and life experience. Few avid collectors are immune to the thrill of rising market value, but Findlay argues that buying for investment alone is seldom smart. A genuine love of art and the ways it may enrich one's social life also play important roles. Down-to-earth and with a touch of dry wit, he explains exactly how artworks are valued and reveals the workings of the art market. Enhancing his narrative are wise advice, insider anecdotes and tales of scoundrels and scams, celebrity collectors and remarkable discoveries. Generously illustrated, Findlay's distillation of a lifetime's experience makes this insider's guide indispensable for all who love art, not only collectors but true "amateurs" as well.
Reviews / Votes
"No one knows more about the market in Impressionist, modern, and contemporary art than Findlay. His new book, The Value of Art, is one of the best ever published on the art world, and covers just about everything you would want to know, including how to buy, sell, look at, and enjoy art."-Artnews
"Findlay passes along his own, entertaining view of the art world's evolution over the past few decades....{He} champions the essential, intrinsic value of art - a subject he addresses with passion."
-The Wall Street Journal
"This perceptive and incisive book by a legendary dealer is the best guide to the present day art world ever written. It is also a deeply felt plea that people look at and enjoy art rather than concentrate solely on its commercial value."
-Andrew Butterfield, President of Andrew Butterfield Fine Arts
"Essential reading. Comprehensive, insightful, and rooted in the author's decades of experience as an art dealer, auction house expert, and connoisseur of both artists and collectors, the text is enlivened by a wealth of instructive and entertaining anecdotes."
-Christopher Finch, author of Chuck Close: Life
"Findlay's The Value of Art...offers a wealth of knowledge (and gossip) about a life spent in the business of beautiful things." -Out Magazine
"Whether you are a beginning collector or seasoned connoisseur, Michael Findlay is the finest guide you could have to the current art world. His decades of experience, devilish wit, and infectious enthusiasm for the best always steer the reader straight through the mercenary machinations of the business, social whirl, and profound beauty of art."
-Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Fine Arts, Trinity College
"The Value of Art is, above all, an elegantly argued plea to art lovers to never stop looking - and to never believe that a world has revealed all of its secrets."
-Art + Auction magazine
"Michael Findlay has written an authoritative guide to the art world in the age of celebrity. The Value of Art is an engaging, informative and serious book."
-Judith Goldman, author of Robert & Ethel Scull: Portrait of a Collection
More details
Edition
Revised, Updated ed.
Language
English
Place of publication
Munich
Germany
Illustrations
55 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 180 mm
ISBN-13
978-3-7913-4638-0 (9783791346380)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
One of the earliest dealers in SoHo, New York, Michael Findlay showcased artists including John Baldessari, Joseph Beuys and Hannah Wilke. Named Head of Impressionist and Modern Paintings at Christie's in 1984, he later became its International Director of Fine Arts. Since 2000 he has been a director at Acquavella Galleries, New York, which in recent years has held major exhibitions of important Impressionist, modern and contemporary masters.