Art as an Investment
What Is a Family Office? A Plain-English Guide
A plain-English guide to family offices: what they are, single vs multi-family, what they do, the net worth where one makes sense, and the alternatives tilt.
Features & Analysis
Long-Form Research on the Art Market
Deeply reported features from the Masterworks Research Team, published weekly.
Art as an Investment
What Is Private Credit? The Fastest-Growing Alternative Asset Class
Private credit is non-bank lending to companies, now a roughly $3 trillion market. We explain how direct lending works, why it boomed after 2022, the yields, the risks, and how art-secured lending fits in.
Art as an Investment
Fauvism: Matisse, Color, and an Underrated Collecting Category
Fauvism lasted three years but its market value concentrated in Matisse. Why a tiny, scarce category can still matter to investors.
Art as an Investment
Carried Interest Explained: How Fund Managers Get Paid
Carried interest is the share of fund profits a manager keeps, usually 20% above an 8% hurdle. How the waterfall, catch-up, taxes, and alignment work.
Opinions & Explainers
Withdrawn Lots: What Removal Before Sale Tells You About Seller Confidence
A withdrawn lot is pulled from auction before bidding starts. Here is what removal signals about seller confidence, guarantees, and market conditions.
Opinions & Explainers
When a Museum Acquires a Work: What It Means for an Artist's Market
Museum acquisitions remove supply, signal quality, and reshape pricing. Here's how institutional collecting affects art market values.
Art Market Explainers
What Blue-Chip Art Actually Means, and Why It Matters
Blue-chip art means works by established artists with deep auction records and stable demand. Here is what qualifies, why, and how the tier performs.
Research Reports
What Auction Estimates Reveal About Market Direction
Auction estimates are forecasts, not facts. Here is how presale ranges are set, why half of them miss, and what the direction of those misses signals about the art market.
Opinions & Explainers
Understanding Provenance: Why an Artwork's History Drives Its Value
Provenance, the ownership history of an artwork, can add up to 54% to hammer prices at auction. Learn how investors evaluate provenance and spot red flags.
Art as an Investment
The Swiss Art Ecosystem: Basel, Zurich, and the Infrastructure of a Market Hub
Switzerland punches far above its size in the art market through Art Basel, duty-free freeports, and private banking. Here is how the hub works.
Art Market Explainers
The Role of Art World Tastemakers, and How Their Influence Is Measured
Galleries, museums and mega-collectors decide which artists become blue chips. Who the art world tastemakers are and how their influence on prices is measured.
Opinions & Explainers
The Rise of Family Offices, and Why They're Allocating to Art
Family offices manage over $3.1 trillion globally and allocate an average of 13.4% to art and collectibles. Here's why, and how they approach it differently than individual collectors.