Discover the world of art and collecting

The fine art marketplace is a maze of complexly interlinked aspects that are not easy to grasp if you are not well conversant with them. There are works on offer that look exciting and appealing at the outset but have more decorative value and little investment value. Then there are reproductions that seem like original art.

It is important to understand what makes a work unique, and authentic. It makes sense to seek expert advice to recognize and distinguish reproductions or copies from originals. The broader art market is, in a way, an aggregation of several mini-marketplaces – cutting across countries, styles, forms, mediums, artists, and different time periods.

Each work is supposed to have a context. In other words, each artist and his or her works make for their own supply-and-demand equations that influence prices. Key factors like who previously owns it; who's keen to buy the work; which gallery or museum are showing them; and, of course, who's selling them and at what price.

A few things that an aware investor must look into are as follows:

• One should gather as much knowledge and insight as possible of the artist one is interested in. Grasp finer aspects of that artist’s work.
• Before you buy a painting, check its provenance. Ensure that the work is in good condition. Art requires careful maintenance.
• Harbor a clear idea about the timeframe and gestation period for a work to grow in value. If you are looking for quick returns, you should probably stay away from art market.
  
• It’s not a domain for speculators. May be you can buy work of an artist who is lesser known albeit with potential. If you buy and hold that artist’s work, you can make good returns over a period of time.
  
• Buy art only if you are satisfied with the quality of an artwork and not just the artist.