Buy art with provenance verified before the price is discussed

What we help source

• Blue-chip art — established artists with deep, liquid markets
• Contemporary art — living artists with institutional traction
• Emerging artists — earlier-stage positions, entered with eyes open about risk
• Private collections — works that change hands without ever being offered publicly
• Auction opportunities — representation and bidding strategy at the major houses
• Private sales — negotiated acquisitions through galleries, dealers, and direct owner contact

What does the art advisory cover?

Before any offer, the advisory examines provenance — the ownership chain, read for gaps and restitution exposure — authenticity against catalogue raisonné and foundation opinion, independent condition reports, the artist's market depth, and how the work fits the collection you are building. If provenance cannot be resolved, we advise against the work.

• Provenance — the ownership chain traced and cross-checked against the Art Loss Register, restitution exposure read against the 1998 Washington Principles, and any gaps or title risk flagged before you commit
• Authenticity — catalogue raisonné status, foundation or committee opinion where applicable
• Condition — independent condition reports, restoration history, and what it means for value
• Artist market — auction record depth, gallery support, institutional presence, supply dynamics
• Collection fit — how the work serves the collection you are building, not just the wall
• Liquidity — how this work would realistically sell, to whom, and on what timeline
• Insurance and logistics — valuation for cover, climate-controlled transport, storage, installation

Buyer scenarios we work with

• Building a collection from a thesis, not from fairs and impulse
• Acquiring a specific artist — patiently, at the right moment in their market
• Filling a defined gap in an established collection
• Buying privately when discretion matters more than the auction spectacle
• Deciding between an auction lot and a comparable private-sale work, on evidence

Risks we help you avoid

• Weak provenance — gaps that surface later as title disputes or unsellable works
• Overpaying in thin markets — one strong auction result is not a market
• Poor condition disclosure — restoration that the sales material somehow never mentioned
• Unclear title — works encumbered by loans, estates, or competing claims

What the numbers say about art as an asset

We brief every client on the market before they buy, not after. A few figures we keep in front of clients — indicative, and cited so you can check them:

• The global art market reached $59.6 billion in 2025, up roughly 4% after two down years (Art Basel & UBS Global Art Market Report 2026).
• Art led the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index in 2022 (+29%) and 2023 (+11%) — then fell about 18% in 2024. Selection and provenance, not the category, decide which side of that average you land on.
• UHNW collectors hold roughly 10% of their wealth in art and collectibles and rank art-market research their most valued advisory service (Knight Frank Wealth Report 2026; Deloitte Art & Finance).

One structural cost to plan for: at the major houses you pay a buyer's premium on top of the hammer price — typically in the mid-20% range on the first price tranche, tapering on amounts above it. We price every opportunity all-in, premium and taxes included, so the number you compare is the number you pay.