Book description
What is art worth? How can a work by Pablo Picasso be sold for more
than 0,000,000? This fascinating book explains the market for art-and
art's value for all of us.
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 a half century 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.
“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.” -Milton Esterow, ARTnews
“Seasoned art dealer Michael Findlay's book addresses head-on questions
like, is art a good investment?... But Findlay doesn't want you to think
about art only in terms of financial value. His book describes art's
social value and tries to define, as well, what he calls its essential,
or human value.” -Brian Boucher, Art in America
“Mr. 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.” -Alexandra
Peers, The Wall Street Journal
“The Value of Art is an engaging, immensely informative book on the art
market and vagaries of taste. Marshaling decades of experience as a
collector, art dealer, and auction house specialist, Michael Findlay
demystifies the buying and selling of art; at the same time, he conveys
his belief in the power of art to enlighten and reveal the seemingly
unknowable essence of things.” -Judith Goldman, author of Robert &
Ethel Scull: Portrait of a Collection
“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, and author of Body and Soul: Masterpieces
of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture
“For anyone who wants to know how the art world works, Michael Findlay's
The Value of Art is essential reading. Comprehensive, insightful, and
rooted in the author's decades of experience…the text is enlivened by a
wealth of instructive and entertaining anecdotes.” -Christopher Finch,
author of Chuck Close: Life
"Whether you are a beginning collector or seasoned connoisseur,
Michael Findlay is the finest guide you could have to the current art
world. His…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 the art." -Michael
Fitzpatrick, Professor of Fine Arts, Trinity College, and author of
Making Modernism: Picasso and the Creation of the Market for the Twentieth-Century
One of the earliest dealers in SoHo, 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.
