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October: a frenzy in the art world
Posted by Chris on 11/10/2024
October sees Europe in a frenzy with art fairs including Frieze London, Art Basel Paris and of course the many global auctions.
If you find these fairs and auctions a little bit hectic for your taste, you’re not alone. But there is a way you can explore thousands of fantastic pieces of art without having to brave the queues.
Here's how to start collecting antique and vintage art without breaking into a sweat.
Image: The Other Art Fair, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Collecting antique and vintage art
It’s no secret that collecting antique and vintage art can often yield fantastic returns for the investor. But it can also give collectors a much deeper reward – that of buying something because they love it.
Antiques.co.uk’s founder, Iain Brunt, tells the story of how he started out in the antiques and art world many years ago:
“When it was still a thriving antiques market, I had an indoor stand at the Portobello market. It was here, from 5am on Friday and Saturday mornings, I got to know the real London dealers including my neighbour who specialised in 19th century Italian gouaches. The paintings were snapped up so quickly by the Italian dealers that nothing stayed on his stand longer than one day.
“Inspired by the turnaround I decided to start collecting them as well. As soon as I showed him my finds he snapped them off me for a bargain and sold them at a profit.”
Pictured: Italian gouache of Naples, mid 19th century. Price: £900 / $1,175
Italian gouaches: a great collectible
Italian gouaches are soft, opaque and translucent and fast-to-dry making them easy for artists to complete quickly. Iain explains why he’s particularly fond of them:
“For me they have more depth than a watercolour and have stronger colours. You can feel the vibrancy and the atmosphere created by the artists.
“Many tourists used this form of painting while they travelled as it was easy to transport and easy to sell. They were often created for the tourist industry and contain dramatic news-worthy scenes like Vesuvius and its continuous eruptions.
“While some signed pieces by known artists can fetch six-figures, others start as low as £500 for a nice view.
“For me they represent an important part of history, such as this beautiful Italian 19th– century gouache of the port and bay of the charming southern Italian port of Naples.”
Pictured: 'After Le Corbusier', print with watercolour. Price: £PLEASE ENQUIRE
Why collect antique and vintage art?
People collect antique and vintage art for many reasons. Art has the unexplainable power to make people feel connected to something bigger, through the painting or sculpture’s ability to express emotions, tell stories, or represent different cultures.
Some people collect art simply to decorate their homes, making their space feel more personal and creative. There’s something about buying artwork that gives you a sense of pride and joy to have beautiful creations on the wall – you often find new meaning every time you look at a piece of art.
Collecting art can also help you enjoy finding new pieces that match your taste or fit into a specific collection. You may look for rare or unique works of art – a process which makes collecting rather exciting, as some pieces lie undiscovered in storage or people’s homes for years before unexpectedly coming onto the market.
Collecting art is often seen as a good investment. That being said, investing your hard-earned cash into art can be very risky for the novice collector. Art is a fluctuating market that follows trends and is rather subjective – for example, Victorian landscapes. This genre is technically well executed, but these landscapes are now within reach of the new collector as tastes have changed.
That means lower demand, higher availability, and therefore much lower prices. There’s little guarantee whether a piece will be worth more in 20 years than you paid for it today.
Pictured: Yiannis Tsarouchis Watercolour Painting, paper on card. Price: £20,000 / $26,354
The most important thing to remember when collecting art
Buy it because you love it.
And that’s what many collectors do. Each piece can hold special meaning, and owning it brings a sense of accomplishment. Art can be a reflection of your identity, showing your interests, style, and passion. Collecting art is a way to enjoy beauty, culture, and creativity in your everyday life.
For more tips and advice on getting started with collecting antiques and art, read Iain’s blog.
How to avoid the art fair queues
Here’s how to avoid the crowds and queues of the European art fairs: simply browse our extensive collection online. We’re open 24 hours a day, so you can buy, sell and value your art and sculpture from the comfort of your own home.
No queues or struggle – just sit back and source at your leisure.
Getting started with buying and collecting art on Antiques.co.uk
Here on antiques.co.uk we have our very own, extensive art selection. Explore thousands of pieces listed by dealers across the world, spanning a wide range of genres across several centuries.
Take a look at some of our art categories:
- 20th century art
- Abstract art
- Etchings
- Fine art
- Gouache
- Illustrations
- Impressionist art
- Landscapes
- Miniatures
- Paintings
- Pastels
- Portraits
- Posters
- Sculpture
- Still life
- Watercolours
Or, browse our complete collections and categories.