THE ART OF SELLING ART

THE ART OF SELLING ART
Young , beautiful women are good for art award. The same is red. Philip Hooks look at the art market with a sidelong glance .
INGVILD PAULSEN
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LISTING

D2
- The relationship between art and money is sexy. After all, no potatoes we sell here . There are fantasies.
Philip Hook hurried through Sotheby's galleries, so the tassels on his loafers polished dancer. Hook the auction house's senior specialist in impressionism and modern painting, and has spent 35 years in the art market .
Now he has written the book " Breakfast at Sotheby's ," where he serves his experiences with a dose of dry British humor .
- Sotheby's is a combination of a chapel and a nightclub , he said.
The accent is noble . Her mouth pursed into a smile .
- We work with art , and art is spiritual and appeals to the soul. But while we have a little bit of night club glamorous excitement, where anything can be bought for the right amount of money. It is the contrast between those who fascinates me. What makes a painting sells for a high price ? How can we sell which on one side is a piece of canvas with paint but which on the other side is invaluable ?
Death and anxiety
Hook has many theories.
- We have the obvious . Who painted the picture ? Is the artist known ? A bohemian , turbulent and often tragic, short life has financial value, he says .
Hook recalls Vincent van Gogh as the prime example of how tragic, short life is good for demand.
Van Gogh's paintings , which no one would have while the artist was living , is now sold for several hundred million. The drama is important.
- There is a theory that Van Gogh actually took his life, but was killed by a stray shot from a rabbit hunter. If the theory had been proven to be true , it is possible it could reduce the value of his works with millions since suicide is so dramatic and associated with how van Gogh suffered for his art , says art expert and adds:
- But the rule of thumb is that any premature death is always good. It is tragic , romantic, and limits the number of machines on the market .
Sun and summer
Hook has also noticed that some designs have more appeal than others, especially in the more mundane art market , notch below elite.
- When it comes to landscape , selling sun better than rain . Just think of the Impressionists ; delicious sunlight , idyllic , joy . There is a reason why copies of them hanging on medical and dental offices around the world. They are simply visual antidepressants.
Still has , according to Hook, this hierarchy : flowers , fruit , vegetables . But dead animals not sell .
- I once tried to describe a still life of a pantry as " vegetables on a border with the sleeping hare " in the sale catalog. None was fooled . Haren was dead , and the estimated price was not reached.
Portraits should preferably be of pretty women for maximum commercial potential , says Hook .
- Elegant women are more pleasant to look at than ugly men and sells better. Unless the ugly men are painted by Rembrandt, of course , says Hook, who has also found that it helps that the pictured smiling.
- I once had a Matisse for sale . The painting had it all: a great interior, colorful background , elegant female figure . But alas , the lady in the picture had mouth down in a sour grimace .
He admits it very tempted to postpone for some creative photo restoration.
- A neutral mouth could double or triple the price. A smile had resulted in quadrupling . Anger and acidity gives simply distaste of the buyer . Anxiety , however . Anxiety is the money in.
Highlight
spring 2012 there was much ado at Sotheby 's. One of art history's greatest icons, "Scream" by Edvard Munch, was to be sold .
- It was without doubt the highlight of my career , a wild fantasy come true . It was like selling " Mona Lisa ."
The experts at Sotheby's crowding together , with easy shaking in your hearts . How would they put a price on such a priceless work of art?
- This painting gives insight into the modern human mind and has triggered thousands of therapists. There is a trophy . The whole world knows it . Ah , we discussed what the price would be, remember Hook .
After twelve minutes bidding at Sotheby 's in New York dropped the hammer : Total price was 689 million . The 230 million over the estimated price and a new record for the painting at auction .
Trophy Hunting
Hook 've often pondered what gets customers to fork out staggering sums for a single artwork. What exactly are they paying for?
- Four factors come into play. Investment , status , spiritual and aesthetic appeal or intellectual pleasure . Sometimes aesthetics strongest motivation , sometimes status or investment , he said.
- At the beginning of the 1900s it was to have a painting of the Impressionists on the wall a shortcut to cultural weight of newly rich Americans. So it is still . It provides status to own one of art history's great trophies.
That's why paintings are easily recognizable and typical of a famous artist top price .
- Many people do not take the risk of investing millions in a Monet and the risk that business does not immediately see that there is a Monet, says Hook .
Road tv
Philip Hook began his career in the basement at Sotheby 's arch rival Christie's in the 1970s . Here he received a shock. He had recently studied art history at the University of Cambridge and was accustomed to enjoy the best of kunstkanonens works.
In the basement of Christie's was far from Rembrandt and Rubens. His first job was to catalog the paintings of Catholic priests and cardinals .
- I had never heard of the genre before . But such religious imagery does indeed have a certain appeal , says Hook .
- They have a lot of red and burgundy in it. Red sells , you know.
In parallel with the auction business has Hook also been a regular on British television as an expert on the popular program " Antiques Roadshow ", a program where the public can price estimates on what they might have of taxes in the basement and the attic . This was far from risk -free , Hook got experience .
- Once a man came with a bunch of landscape watercolors and wanted to know how old they might be.
Hook observed that the photos were of different quality , but seemed to sense a diffuse , Dutch style . Could they be from the early 1900s ? It turned out that the man had painted them himself, a few days before .
- We are not infallible , laughing Hook .
From spark to fire
It hammered and hammered at Sotheby 's. Smells like freshly painted . An exhibition of art from the Islamic world prepared.
- Oil money from the Middle East creates a good market , says Hook .
It applies to exhibit goods in tempting , often theatrical show .
- It was in the 1950s that Sotheby's began with glamorous marketing seriously. Soft blankets and evening auctions, who see and be seen - happenings, on par with opera premieres, says Hook .
What role does the seller in the value of art ?
- It's an eternal question about the auction houses only reflect the taste or creates it. The truth is probably somewhere in between . Our job is to find an initial spark of interest and kindle it up to a big fire , says art expert.
Hook admits he is good at creating a sensation , but points out that he can not start the first spark .
It must be there already. He instantly reminds that the book " Breakfast at Sotheby's " far from being a guidebook for budding art investors, but must be read as a memoir of highly subjective considerations .
- The book should be taken with a grain of salt, but everything is based on a kernel of truth , says Hook, and comes with its recent analysis :
- As a Chelsea fan , I think it 's fun to compare the most expensive paintings with the most expensive football players . Prices of both have gone up and up in recent decades, and long were the highest art . But now, after the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to 772 million dollars and Gareth Bale to supposedly even more , it is football that takes most money. So the I conclude that art is still cheap. And so it lasts longer .
ART experts TEN TIPS
1 Dramatic , bohemian background history , usually in the form of insanity , increases merchantability . Physical disease , however, is not as good.

2 Existential angst à la "Scream" is a plus . But hard feelings do not sell . The general rule is that the smile is always preferable.
3 It helps to belong to a readily identifiable group, such as the Skagen painters in Denmark.
4 Rule of thumb before investing in portrait : Would you sit next to the person at a dinner party ?
5 Young , beautiful women sell. Horizontal sells more than vertical , with one exception : The gain for horizontal disappear if the woman in the picture is dead .
6 Still ranked as follows: Flowers are the best, so fruit as vegetables. Dead animals is a poor performances, especially if there is blood in the picture .
7 Photos of prey are sought after . However, the animals must be in full vigor .
8 Bright colors are selling, especially in abstract art. Red is the most important.
9 Landscape sell best if it comes from a specific place , usually from romantic cities like Venice and Rome , or from the BRIC countries like China or Brazil, where it is eager, affluent buyers in line. Good weather is good, a balloon floating by in the background can increase the value further .
10th Finally : Hook recalls that although the tips must be taken with a grain of salt, as they have a grain of truth

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Fashion designers on their favourite artworks
Fashion and art have always had a close relationship, and this season everyone from Prada to Céline referenced artworks in their collections. Here, our favourite designers reveal the paintings, sculptures and galleries that inspire their work
The Guardian, Thursday 6 March 2014 12.07 GMT
Alber Elbaz of Lanvin at the Ecole aux Beaux Arts in Paris
'The idea of handing know-how from teacher to the next generation of artist over four centuries, moves me' … Alber Elbaz of Lanvin at the Ecole aux Beaux Arts in Paris
ALBER ELBAZ, LANVIN

The permanent collection the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France.

"The Beaux-Arts de Paris, where we hold the Lanvin shows, is a very special place. It inspires me. The school, founded in the 17th century, owns one of the largest public collections of art in France. Its spirit of transmission, the idea of handing know-how from teacher to the next generation of artist over four centuries, moves me. Art galleries give a great insight to a city's culture. When I'm travelling the world for work I hope to find enough time to catch galleries and paintings."

CAROL LIM, KENZO

Ellsworth Kelly, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York, US. April 2011

Ellsworth Kelly's Colors for a Large Wall, 1951 Ellsworth Kelly's Colors for a Large Wall, 1951
"I find the space in galleries really inspiring. I go to the Met in New York about three times a year, and the Getty in LA, because I love what the architecture has created. My dad came to Tate Modern with me a couple of years ago. We were in the line for the Edvard Munch exhibition, but he said that he'd prefer to wander round the building and just buy the catalogue. These places where you can go for the art, or equally for a picnic, they're like community centres. Art is a real influence for Humberto [Leon] and me. When we joined Kenzo, an Ellsworth Kelly [top] show started lots of thoughts for us. And Hockney at the Royal Academy – particularly his iPad drawings. They triggered inspiration and opened conversations."

GEOFFREY J FINCH, ANTIPODIUM

Jeff Koons, Gagosian Gallery, New York, US. July 2013

Balloon Rabbit by Jeff Koons Balloon Rabbit by Jeff Koons. Photograph: Cindy Ord/Getty Images
"Art always has a profound impact on what I'm doing in the studio. A/ W14's colours were reviewed after seeing the Chapman brothers' paintings at the Serpentine in December – they're just so good! A still life at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum has been playing on my mind since I was there a month ago. The Jeff Koons [above] show in New York last summer impacted on how S/ S14 came together. Our seasonal artist collaborations have had a massive impact on my aesthetic – perhaps most with graphic design duo Craig & Karl, whose sense of colour, line and humour are endlessly inspiring."

MARGARET HOWELL

Charlotte Perriand: From Photography to Interior Design, the Petit Palais, Paris, France. June 2011

Margaret Howell Designer Margaret Howell. Photograph: Sophia Evans
"One powerful image I particularly remember was the back view of a construction worker sitting on a metal girder. A close-up of a steel bolt and his well-used trouser pockets. Shot in black and white and rich with the authenticity of real life. And there were snaps of Perriand, sunbathing on a pebbled beach, or looking out over snow-covered mountains. She is, for me, the essence of a free-spirited woman, strong and modern, but also timeless – an inspiration."

DOMENICO DOLCE AND STEFANO GABBANA

100 Anni di Follia Pratica, La Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy. November 2013

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
"We spent hours at the Piero Fornasetti exhibition [above] in Milan last year. Entering into his world is super exciting. We love and collect everything from his art. He was such an important artist and his wit inspires our fashion and stores. Our new boutique on New Bond Street in London is full of hand-painted furniture we personally selected from the Fornasetti collections."

ROLAND MOURET

Les Pléiades, 30 years of Frac, Musée des Abattoirs, Toulouse, France. December 2013

Roland Mouret Roland Mouret. Photograph: Richard Young/Rex
"Just before Christmas, at Musée des Abattoirs, I saw a film by Spanish artist Jordi Colomer called The American Soup [about a temporary pre-fab housing estate in Normandy constructed after the second world war that is still inhabited today]. Hard work and careful order, repeated over years, a feeling of dedication in people's houses. It gave me such a huge sense of the love and care that people have around one another, and the difference it makes. It's a moment I will not easily lose and I had a better Christmas for it."

PAUL BERNSTOCK AND THELMA SPEIRS

David Hockney: Me Draw on iPad, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen, Denmark. April 2011

'Untitled', an iPad drawing by David Hockney. Untitled, a 2009 iPad drawing by David Hockney. Photograph: Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint-Laurent/EPA
"A few of years ago we were in Copenhagen and went to visit the David Hockney's Me Draw on Ipad exhibition [below] at the Louisiana Museum. We have always been big fans of Hockney's work and loved that he was enthusiastically embracing a new medium and that the work existed in a non-traditional way. The Louisiana is a magical place in beautiful grounds on the edge of Denmark's sea, the Øresund."

ANTONIO BERARDI

Facing the Modern: The Portrait in Vienna 1900, National Gallery, London, UK. November 2013

"The Vienna exhibition contained works by Egon Schiele and Death And Life by Gustav Klimt, which was the first time it had been exhibited outside Austria – a real coup.

Richard Gerstl Self-Portrait Richard Gerstl's Self-Portrait, laughing. Photograph: Imagno/Getty Images
"The first thing I saw on entering the gallery was a piece entitled Self-Portrait Laughing [above] by a little-known Austrian painter and designer called Richard Gerstl. It was one of the most inspiring and evocative pieces I have seen. Joyous in its colours and subject, sad because the young artist killed himself not long after. I left the exhibition after seeing this and returned a few days later to see the rest. After looking at such a powerful piece of art, the rest would have not had the same impact. It is a memory I carry with me always: unexpected, inspiring, optimistic, triste yet joyous all at the same time."

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

The permanent collection at The Wallace Collection, London, UK

Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing (1767), from the Wallace Collection Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing (1767), from The Wallace Collection
"I visit the Wallace Collection in particular for the 17th-century painters like Titian and Velázquez. They have such wonderful things in there, but then you also have the three 18th-century geniuses: Boucher, Watteau and Fragonard [below]. All three say so much of that age – Boucher's pretty things; Watteau's work inspired by the Commedia dell'arte.

"There are two fantastic Boucher as you come up the stairs – one is Apollo about to get into his chariot, surrounded by all the nymphs as he rises from the ocean. It's absolutely fantastic. Boucher is really sentimental, but you can't call him kitsch because he has such incredible facility. Playful but cynical somehow. He comes from an age that was very convenient for painters; all that mythology was part of a way of communicating in those days.

"To look at a painting is to enter a world. I love that 18th-century version of the pagan world. It's a delight. The only place to find ideas is by looking at what people did in the past. It's the way you can be original. Nothing comes from a vacuum; it is impossible to be creative unless you have a link with the past and tradition. You should constantly try to understand the world in which you live from the perspective of the way people saw things in the past. The art-lover is a freedom-fighter for a better world. Great art aims at perfection and is timeless; there is no progress in art."

PETER JENSEN

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Hepworth Wakefield gallery, Wakefield, UK.

The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery Prepares For Opening Spring 1966 by Barbara Hepworth at The Hepworth, Wakefield. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty/Hepworth Wakefield
"There are two galleries I have a close bond with. The first is the Louisiana; it's just outside Copenhagen with a view overlooking the sea to Sweden and in the summer you can have a picnic in the garden looking at the sculptures. It truly is a great place with a lot of ground-breaking exhibitions and a permanent collection. It was the first museum in the world to show Andy Warhol's early drawings.

"The other place is the Hepworth museum in Wakefield. We did a collection for spring/summer 2013 that had Barbara Hepworth as the muse and we were asked to show this collection as an evening event in the museum. Truly, it was just amazing being around her work [below] and walking through a space that has been designed to fit this grand work by this little woman. I loved it and thought that what I did was so small in comparison to this art."

CHRISTOPHER SHANNON

Centre of the Creative Universe: Liverpool and the Avant-Garde, Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. February 2007

Rineke Dijkstra’s Buzz club video Rineke Dijkstra’s Buzz club video installation
"I saw Rineke Dijkstra's Buzz club video [above] at the Tate Liverpool a few years ago. It was exciting to see it projected so big in the city it was made in – I remember older kids at school going to the Buzz and being jealous. It's amazing that someone from outside the city caught that moment and the stills are so well known. She manages to observe and not imply judgment. I love that about her work."

ALICE TEMPERLEY

The permanent collection at the Louvre, Paris, France.

Egpytian funerary figurines in the Louvre, Paris Egpytian funerary figurines in the Louvre, Paris. Photograph: De Agostini/Getty
"When I'm in Paris I always walk up from the Place de la Concorde to the Louvre. I have a routine where I go to the cafe and sit and people-watch and then on to look at the ancient Egyptian jewellery and art [above]. Last time I went to see the Greek Agora sculptures, which were beautiful, but the room was so cold. Then I go to the bookshop before heading to the shops on Rue de Rivoli. It's a busy museum so you have to time it just right, either early or the last hour before it closes."

JONATHAN SAUNDERS

Sensation, Royal Academy, London, UK. September 1997

The Sensation show at the Royal Academy in 1997 The Sensation show at the Royal Academy in 1997
"This show of work from Charles Saatchi's collection, including work by many of the Young British Artists such as Tracey Emin and Michael Landy, has been incredibly influential on my work throughout the years. As was the OMA/Progress exhibition at the Barbican in 2011, which created a portrait of the work of Rem Koolhaas and his architectural practice."

ERDEM

Permanent collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

Samson Slaying a Philistine by Giambologna in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England, UK Samson Slaying a Philistine by Giambologna in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Photograph: Alex Segre/Alamy
"I find inspiration in a lot of things. Two places that have recently inspired me are the Frieze art fair last October, where there's a huge amount of excitement and newness, and the V&A Museum, which has everything to do with the past. I'm obsessed with the Medieval & Renaissance rooms [above] – they house European art and culture from 300 to 1600 and include Donatello sculptures, Henry VIII's furnishings and Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks."

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