FEATURES ARCHIVE

With over twenty years’ experience working with European Paintings, there are few people as qualified as James Hastie to give an exclusive view of the state of the market. This fall the Head of 19th Century European Art tells Eva-Maria Dimitriadis about current trends, hot bargains and top tips for new collectors.

You have had the pleasure of working in London and New York. Are there any differences in the 19th Century Art market on this side of the pond?
In many ways London hosts a more regionalized market. Spanish buyers purchase Spanish paintings, and so on...In America there are of course many collectors devoted to certain schools, but as a general observation
I notice that buyers here are driven by the image itself, rather than its origin. These trends are instrumental in informing how we build our auctions at Christie’s. Based on our knowledge of the market, my colleagues and I are well placed to advise clients on the best location to sell their works.

How would you describe Christie’s experience in the 19th Century Art market?
Christie’s has been selling art since the 18th century and through that tradition we have learnt to establish and adapt to market trends. This season we have produced a bilingual English and Mandarin highlights catalogue for our next 19th Century European Art sale, in order to meet the growing demand of our Asian client base.

So 19th Century Paintings seem to be performing very well… Can you recall a lot from your last sale that sold beyond expectations?
The January auction in New York was a resounding success, with a sale total of US$12.5 million. There was clear indication that traditional collecting areas are back in full force. Of particular interest was a powerful social realist work by Jean-François Millet, which sold for $1,538,500 against an estimate of $800,000–1,200,000.

As we see within the pages of this bulletin, 19th Century Art is an extremely diverse category. Which areas are performing particularly well at the moment?
Key artists from the Victorian era are doing exceptionally well and the Orientalist market is proving to be very robust with both a very loyal and expanding audience. Overall I would reiterate that the current market is predominantly image-led. Paintings by Giovanni Boldini and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema are highly prized because they are so aesthetically rewarding.

And where is the biggest bargain to be had?
Sporting art. In comparison to the prices over the last 40 years it is extremely reasonable at the moment. We have some fine examples in our sale.

What is your favorite area?
My first specialist job at Christie’s was in the Maritime Art department and I have never lost my interest in that field. I have a passion for French Realist art and deeply admire the work of Courbet. It would have been simpler for you to ask what I didn’t like as that is a much shorter list.

Which work in this sale would you most like to own?
The Gustave Doré La famille du saltimbanque: l’enfant blessé hanging here behind me. It is an intriguing painting in subject, composition and technique. Painted in 1853 you can immediately see the influence it had on later artists such as Picasso. I would not be surprised if a contemporary art collector bid on it. The estimate is very reasonable too.

What advice would you give to a new collector of 19th Century Paintings?
Visit museums and auction houses to get a feel of what you like. Then do your research and talk to specialists. Ask about condition, provenance and the specialist’s opinion—the research can be fascinating and very rewarding. Buy the best you can afford. Once you get the painting home it is going to give you so much pleasure and it will not be long before you want more. You become a collector once you run out of wall space! Most importantly always remember you are simply a guardian of the works you collect. So look after them…