BY ALBERT CHEN

Established art deserves renewed attention, but the useful work begins below the headline. A celebrated name can encompass paintings, drawings, prints and objects of very different quality, rarity and condition. Treating them as interchangeable investments is a poor starting point for collecting. A more productive approach is to select a manageable field, learn what distinguishes its stronger examples and compare actual objects before becoming attached to an artist’s reputation.

The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026 recorded 2025 auction sales growth of 47% for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, 30% for the broader Old Masters category and 9% for Modern art. These are changes in aggregate sales value, not returns earned by owners of comparable works. A small number of expensive sales can influence a category’s annual result, so the figures support closer investigation rather than a blanket buying recommendation.

Collectors can turn that investigation into a practical routine. Compare works with similar dates, materials, dimensions and condition; establish whether quoted auction results include the buyer’s premium; and request the information behind an attribution or provenance claim. For prints, edition details and the quality of the particular impression deserve attention alongside the image. For older objects, the extent and effect of restoration should be understood before a price is judged attractive. Specialist advice is particularly useful where the buyer cannot evaluate those matters independently.

Living artists should read this trend as context, rather than an instruction to imitate historical styles. The relevant lesson is the value of making a practice understandable over time. Keep a dependable inventory, record materials and dimensions, retain exhibition information and distinguish finished works from studies. Collectors evaluating established art and buyers approaching a contemporary studio face different markets, but both need clear information about the particular object. Familiarity with a name should lead to better questions, not replace them.

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