Artprice.com
Artprice has clearly lived up to its headline as “the world leader in art market information.” Every month, a whopping 2.7 million visitors search the world’s largest database, which by early 2019 had documented 12,127,500 artworks created by more than 702,156 artists as offered by 6,300 auction houses — and those numbers are increasing daily.
Although the main Artprice database runs from 1962 to today, researchers can also tap the Artprice Archives to study artworks offered at auction from 1700 to 1900 in Europe and in the United States. That’s because Artprice astutely acquired rights to the rare 7-volume Dictionary of Fine Art Sales by Dr. H. Mireur — historically the very first publication in this field. One of the special benefits of Mireur is tracing provenance because it reveals the name of the sellers (which are kept anonymous in today’s auction catalogues). Even the Getty’s Provenance Index is no match for that. Plus, Artprice maintains the world’s largest library of printed catalogues going back through the 19th century.
Artprice expanded its global reach in 2018 by entering into an exclusive joint venture with the publisher of China’s auction catalogues, Artron Group, and its Art Market Monitor Artron (AMMA). Considering that China has the world’s second-largest turnover at auction at $2 billion (behind the $3.3 billion U.S. market and ahead of the $1.9 billion U.K. market) this is a significant partnership resulting in Artprice offering its subscribers the additional benefit of providing the results of all works of art offered in China.
Artprice also provides the most economical and flexible subscription plans, catering to every level of need — from professionals to occasional users. For those simply looking for the estimated value of a single artwork, they can get an Artpricing report quickly for only $59 — and the fee-per-artwork decreases based on quantity. In addition, the Artprice Store is an extensive center for transactions where collectors, dealers, and artists trade directly.
We find the frequent ArtMarketInsight reports to be of significant value because they provide timely and accurate updates on the market’s hottest issues. These reports are produced by the company’s Art Econometrics team, which has developed a set of complex algorithms based on a combination of having dissected the numerous hedonic attributes of each artwork, its repeat sales, and even factors relating to economic indicators. The results are indices that have firmly become benchmarks that are regularly published worldwide from the Wall Street Journal to The New York Times, to The Economist and many others.
Finally, anyone visiting the central region of France must make the pilgrimage to the company’s headquarters in Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d’Or, a small medieval village just north of Lyon in the hills that rise from the Saône River. In 1999 Thierry Ehrmann, CEO of Groupe Serveur (of which Artprice is a part) began transforming the main building, which was a 17th century postal station, into the Musée l’Organe also known as the Abode of Chaos (La Demeure du Chaos). While the interior of the building is off-grounds (access is by sophisticated fingerprint and retina recognition) Ehrmann has turned the building and surrounding grounds into what on first impression appears to be a war zone with crashed airplanes, army tanks, and even a fallen meteor lodged in the roof. With 1,200 sculptures populating the grounds — including a series of giant gleaming skulls atop pedestals — Ehrmann’s creation is a unique combination of installation art, architecture, and stage-set seemingly out of a dystopian movie. While some of the 1,200 inhabitants of this tranquil village remain in shock it’s clear that the Abode of Chaos and its more than and 5,400 artworks have been lauded as a valid part of the vibrant art landscape of Lyon. A reporter for The New York Times called this extraordinary creation “one of the most important and most emotional artistic adventures of the 21st century.” We agree. For those looking to create an itinerary for visiting the greatest examples of modern architecture in France, this extraordinary museum is a “can’t miss” experience.
