Art critics and financial experts are in agreement and according to ‘Alvin Hall’s World of Money’ (BBC Radio 4, August 2008) the art market is enjoying a miracle year. Godfrey Barker of the Evening Standard commented that ‘when the stock market under performs, the art market starts singing and dancing’. There was strong evidence to back this claim when a recent Sotheby’s auction of Damian Hirst’s work raised over £70 million. Barker believes that the art market will continue to defy the current trends and will remain buoyant. To find out more about investing in art, contact us to make an appointment with one of our expert art consultants, or drop by the gallery.
At the Enid Hutt Gallery we offer limited edition prints for purchase by artists who’s original artwork may be out of reach financially. Today’s modern printing techniques combined with the finest light-fast inks and beautiful art paper or canvas, give a result that could only have been dreamed of just a few years ago and mean you don’t have to compromise when buying a limited edition print.
Sometimes a limited edition is the only choice if one is ever to own a piece by say Jack Vettriano, Todd White or Alexander Millar Of course, everyone would like to have an original but when that can cost anything up to between five and ten times as much as a limited edition it is simply unrealistic for most. I once spoke with a lady who’s friend was gifted a painting by a world famous artist and unfortunately had to return it as they could not afford the insurance to cover it. So not only are some original pieces out of reach financially but even keeping one could be too.
Personally I would prefer a good quality limited edition print over a cheap original but many lesser expensive originals are by excellent up and coming artists so you have to define what is ‘cheap’.
If you ever do purchase, it must be of value to you personally as well, it has to jump out and grab you and of course price is another consideration, but if I had the choice between an original by an unknown artist or a limited edition print by say Jack Vettriano, I would go for the Vettriano.
It will always be argued that limited editions are not a good investment. The answer to that is simple. No art, original or otherwise, is a guaranteed investment but is a great one if you calculate the value of pleasure it will give you over the years. It is well reported, that most often than not, limited edition prints by well established artists which are sold after the edition is sold out, make a considerable price increase, even double the original value.