Painting "old masters" has withstood the crisis
 

Collectors, who arrived in Maastricht on the world's largest art fair TEFAF, more willing to invest in the "old masters" than in the work of modernist and contemporary artists. According to the agency Bloomberg, the price of the modernists have fallen by about 20 per cent compared to 2008, while the "old masters" they more or less stable.
The two most notable transactions in the sector of "old masters" were male portrait by Rubens, sold for 6.46 million dollars (slightly below the original price), and genre painting "The old lady for a meal", Gabriel Metsu, who went to an American collector for 4.6 million dollars (Information The New York Times). On average, prices for "old masters" have remained roughly the same as in 2008, but demand for them has not fallen despite the crisis.


1.Gabriel Metsu "old lady for a meal." Detail Reproduction

Sales exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts
 

March 22 ended in Maastricht The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) - one of the most influential international art fairs. Results expected this year, with a particular emotion, because as rightly pointed out the organizers, «TEFAF - a thermometer, on which we can determine how serious the global economic crisis has affected the art market." To the great relief and the organizers and participants, all tests were conditioned with glitter - sales exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts.
Interesting review: http://www.openspace.ru/art_times/fairs/details/8790/

Buy old masters profitable ...
 

Interesting article on the site ARTinvestment.RU
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...«( Buy old masters more profitable than gold nuggets, if you are looking for something that does not lose in value, "- said another London dealer Clovis Whitfield (Clovis Whitfield) from the gallery Whitfield Fine Art. At its booth sported recently discovered and restored painting by Andrea del Sarto (Andrea del Sarto) «Madonna and Child with John the Baptist" (1513) with a price tag "8,5 million euros.

Art dealer from Maastricht William Noortman (William Noortman), the head belongs to the auction house Sotheby's galleries Noortman Master Paintings, successfully sold the painting of the Dutch masters of the XVII century, Gabriel Metsu (Gabriel Metsu). For painting, which depicts an elderly lady, a collector from the East Coast of the U.S. laid out a price close to the amount of price list (3.6 million euros).

Paris gallery Haboldt & Co., Also dealing with the old masters, on the first day of the fair had sold five paintings, including a 15-centimeter still life with a glass of wine a brush painter of XVII century Sébastien Stoskopffa (Sebastien Stoskopff). Price works exceeded 650 thousand euros.
http://artinvestment.ru/news/artnews...326_tefaf.html