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Johnny Van Haeften art expert: 'Old Masters' values have gone up and up'
Mr Van Haeften reveals how a passion for the Old Masters led him to swap stamp collecting for art
If you've ever fancied turning your investment sights to Dutch and Flemish Old Master Paintings of the 16th-17th centuries, then you'll find that the above video is a must-see.
It features an interview with Johnny Van Haeften. Mr Van Haeften, whose ancestors were Dutch, was originally a stamp specialist at Christie's before following his true passion and becoming a leading art expert.
Building on his experiences at Christie's, Mr Van Haeften established his own eponymous family-run art dealership. Recognising the bad press which sometimes surrounds art dealers, he understood the need for the "highest values of honesty, integrity and transparency."
"People who haven't collected Old Masters need to feel confident - confidence is the whole thing," says Mr Van Haeften to an interviewer from website Russian Art Media in the above clip.
 Old Dutch Masters like the Dutch Golden Age painter Ambrosius |
The interview focusses mainly on the Maastricht Fine Art Fair 2010, which attracts prospective buyers from all over the world. This isn't surprising given the strong history of Dutch and Old Master paintings as alternative investments.
"[The paintings'] values have gone up and up and up, largely because of the laws of supply and demand. Supply is inevitably limited," says Mr Van Haeften, comparing the relative scarcity of Old Masters today with their more frequent appearances at auctions in the 1960s.
The above video gives a fascinating insight into why these historic works arguably have more value stability than contemporary art buys - and why they maintain this stability as long-term assets.
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Video source: Russian Art Media
