As we have seen swathes of new buyers coming to the auction room all looking for quality, original art at reasonable prices, it became increasingly obvious that we needed to find space in our calendar for a sale dedicated to affordable art. And this month sees our first ever auction with these buyers solely in mind, The Affordable Art Sale – A Summer Show, which will take place on the 29th July, offering over 290 pictures, all with estimates below £800.
A selection of paintings available in The Affordable Art Sale, shot against Molly Mahon's 'Marwari Horse' wallpaper
There is a plethora of new buyers in the market for original artwork which will not break the bank but which hasn’t been sold on a mass market basis, slathered over social media or seen in multiple people’s homes. And whilst art is increasingly seen as a commodity to be bought and sold for profit, this new buying force is looking for ‘art for art’s sake’, pictures which they love and will fit with their homes, rather than simply a vehicle for investment. This has meant that these new collectors are turning away from High Street purchases, and instead are becoming ever more savvy with the auction process. As online bidding and multiple streaming platforms such as thesaleroom.com have made buying at auction increasingly simple, there has been a significant growth in the number of buyers at our more affordable sales. In fact, our monthly interiors sales have seen an increase of an average of 58 new buyers at every auction in the past 12 months. Covid has clearly impacted the way in which people live and put an increased emphasis on our surroundings. This, coupled with more free time and working from home has certainly helped ensure that buyers consistently turn to auction to purchase one-off pieces, be these paintings, drawings or prints.
Further paintings from The Affordable Art Sale, shot against Molly Mahon's 'Coral' wallpaper
Whilst the burgeoning market for signed prints has been well-documented and discussed by us in a previous version of this series, there are other options for affordable artwork beyond prints and lithographs. These can include works by contemporary or less mainstream artists, such as paintings by the likes of Derek Inwood, a contemporary British artist who majored on naïve coastal scenes, or Lazzaro Donati, from Italy, of whose we have two paintings in the Affordable Art Sale. Similarly, for those with more traditional tastes, there are some excellent works by copyists in the market. These can be copies of Old Masters or Impressionists and present a stunning painting for any environment, and there is a number of these available at the next sale, including some impressive copies of works by the likes of Eugene Boudin and Fernand Toussaint, with estimates from £100 - £200. Drawings are also a good entry point for those looking to start an art collection. Often these can be bought for anything from around £50 - £500 depending on the quality and the artist. Displayed in a group, as per the below image, these can create a fabulous gallery wall and have quite an impact in a space.
Drawings available in The Affordable Art Sale, shot against Molly Mahon's 'Marwari Horse' wallpaper
For anyone looking to start an art collection, the Affordable Art Sale will be a good place to begin. To view the catalogue, click here.