Old master and 19th century artworks are leading the way in 2012 when it comes to price rises among the major art sectors, according to new research from Mei Moses.
Half year figures from the respected art index reveal that the value of old master and 19th century artworks across Christie's and Sotheby's auctions is up 5.4%.
The numbers will not surprise anyone who witnessed last night's old masters sale at Christie's, which saw John Constable's The Lock set a new record for the artist of £22.4m, and Joachim Wtewael's Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan do likewise with a £4.6m showing.
 Old masters are on the up - John Constable's £22.4m The Lock |
The figures follow the recent publication of the Artnews 200 report, which revealed that just 8% of the world's leading 200 art buyers collect old masters.
This is due in large part to the limited number of works that are available on the private market, with most residing in institutions. Nevertheless, art investors looking to capitalise on the trends of the sector may well push the 8% figure significantly higher over the coming years.
The Artnews 200 also found that 84% of the leading 200 art buyers collect contemporary art, and with good reason, with the Mei Moses post war and contemporary index revealing that prices in the sector are up 2.7% since the start of the year.
There has also been a strong showing in the first six months for the Impressionist and Modern market, which has risen by 3.5%. If you're looking to capitalise on the strength of the Modern market our art portfolio is well worth investigating. It features items from Picasso and Dali.
