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Oracle of DelphiWarhol is more collectable that Picasso?
April 2nd 2008 01:27
Andy Warhol: Highest Priced Art
Warhol's Green Car Crash
Art auctions are a privilege reserved only for the financially elite. Collectors of fine art are a rare breed, a small percentage of us could only ever dream to own an original piece by any number of masters. The question is does wealth or education breed taste?
The reason I ask is that according to the latest report from Bloomberg.com the artist that now earns the highest bids is pop pioneer Andy Warhol. Surpassing the previous market leader Pablo Picasso and a host of other notable names.
Picasso exercises in form and lines
From the Bloomberg article:
“Warhol led the 2007 table of the world's 500 most auctioned artists with $422.3 million in sales, more than doubling the year- earlier $199.6 million, Artprice said. Seventy-four Warhol works sold for more than $1 million, led by the hammer price of $64 million paid for ``Green Car Crash'' at Christie's International, New York, in May. Christie's is based in London.
Sales of works by Picasso totalled $319.7 million at auction last year, down $20 million from 2006. Francis Bacon leaped to third place from 19th with $244.5 million, lifted by seven results over $10 million. The bestselling living artist was Gerhard Richter, whose works sold for $85.9 million, ranking him 12th.
Thirty-six Chinese names featured among the top 100 contemporary artists in 2007 ranked by total auction sales. ``Bloodlines'' series painter Zhang Xiaogang was the world's second-most actively traded living artist at $56.9 million, pushing Jeff Koons, with $52.6 million, into third place.”
Regular readers will know that I have an appreciation for most all variations of form and style and am certainly open to Andy Warhol’s place in the art world. But, I would never believe that renderings of silver screen legends and commercial products is as important as some of the great impressionists, renaissance and other historical painters.
Age alone is not a dictum for quality, however when talking about the “Collectable” nature of pivotal works it certainly adds to my personal sense of value. Also the ability for paintings to emote and provoke an emotional response is a component not prominent in the Warhol’s work.
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Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
On another note, I need to meet this 24 yr old son of a Real Estate billionaire who can afford to drop almost half a million dollars on paintings on a whim!