January 23, 2012 | Tom Kirkpatrick, President
Abigail R. Esman, who frequently writes about the joys and perils of art collecting in her Forbes column, recently published several articles that are especially relevant to art collectors, adjusters and insurance carriers. In one article Esman lists the top ten art sales of 2011, showing that Modern and Contemporary pieces are currently some of the most desirable and highly valued artworks on the market today. It’s worth checking out the list to see how the market fared in 2011 versus previous years. In that same article and a follow on post, Esman highlights the top art frauds and scandals of 2011. She offers advice that is instructive for collectors, adjusters and carriers on how to protect yourself from being a victim of fraud, which Esman notes happens more frequently in the art world than you might think.
Regarding determining the authentication and provenance of works of art, Esman writes, “As a collector, you need to know whose word counts, which of several scholars is the most respected and the most reliable. Is Robert Welch as good as Joop Joostens when it comes to Mondrian? Would you know whom to talk to about a Van Gogh? (Hint: it’s not that 1-800 number you see online.) What do you do now that the Warhol authentication board no longer exists? If you don’t know the answers to these questions and don’t have time to find out, get yourself a curator or a knowledgeable art advisor.”
Sound advice. Collectors of fine art, antiques and collectibles require a range of specialists for ensuring authentication, valuation and determining the right type and amount of insurance. That’s our core mission at Enservio with our EnservioSelect and Collector Services business units. Our in-house generalists and certified appraisers, as well as an extensive network of consulting experts, allow us to cover almost any category of valued objects.
So the next time you have a question about a fine work of art or a challenging contents claim on your hands, make sure you have access to a team of experts with the experience to handle just about anything. What’s the most challenging claim you handled in 2011?
