Art and collectibles

Assets

An opaque, dealer-intermediated market whose literature is written by economists and journalists rather than by investors.

8 books

Start here

  1. The $12 Million Stuffed SharkDon Thompson, 2008
  2. Seven Days in the Art WorldSarah Thornton, 2008
  3. DuveenS. N. Behrman, 1952

Books 8

Lives of the Artists
T1 Lives of the Artists
Giorgio Vasari · 1550 · Vasari's lives; the origin of artistic reputation and its market
Open Library
Paul Graham
Duveen
T2 Duveen
S. N. Behrman · 1952 · The dealer who moved Old Masters to American money; still the model.
Open Library
Seven Days in the Art World
T2 Seven Days in the Art World
Sarah Thornton · 2008 · Ethnography of auctions, fairs and studios.
Open Library
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
T2 The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
Don Thompson · 2008 · An economist on how contemporary art prices are actually set.
Open Library
Diana KimballVinod Khosla
The Value of Art
T3 The Value of Art
Michael Findlay · 2012 · A dealer separating commercial, social and intrinsic value.
Open Library
The Supermodel and the Brillo Box
T3 The Supermodel and the Brillo Box
Don Thompson · 2014 · Sequel with more on auction guarantees and price formation.
Open Library
Boom
T3 Boom
Michael Shnayerson · 2019 · The rise of the mega-galleries and the contemporary market.
Open Library
Rogues' Gallery
T4 Rogues' Gallery
Michael Gross · 2009 · Money and power inside the Metropolitan Museum.
Open Library