Deeply reported features from the Masterworks Research Team, published weekly.
Art authentication rests on three pillars: connoisseurship, forensic science, and provenance. Here is how each works, what it costs, and why it protects value.
Auction guarantees back about 78% of New York evening-sale value in 2025, but coverage clusters at the blue-chip top. Here is who gets backstopped and why.
Francis Bacon's triptych record stands at $142.4 million, set in 2013. Here is why his fixed supply of roughly 584 paintings, iconic imagery, and deep museum backing have made his market one of the more resilient at the top end.
A technical guide to the lab science behind art authentication: X-radiography, infrared reflectography, XRF and pigment analysis, radiocarbon dating, and AI. What each method can and cannot prove.
The Knoedler, Beltracchi, and van Meegeren forgeries cost collectors tens of millions. Here is what each case teaches investors about real due diligence.
When an artist dies, their auction prices often spike. But the size and length of that jump depends on how the estate handles supply. Here is what investors need to know.
How the US dollar's rise and fall shapes global art auction prices, bidding behavior, and cross-border collecting strategy for investors.
Masterworks focuses on investment grade, blue chip art rather than speculative ultra contemporary work. Here is the data behind that distinction and how we choose what to buy.
How undisclosed markups, dealer insolvency, and weak title and authenticity warranties create counterparty risk in art deals, and how investors manage it.
Single-artist exposure carries 25% to 40% volatility versus 10% to 15% for a diversified art index. Here is why concentration is the risk that hurts most.
How art appraisers build a fair market value from comparable sales: selecting comps, adjusting for size, medium, date, and condition, and the limits of thin comps.
Art-backed lending lets collectors borrow against artwork at 50-60% LTV ratios. Learn how it works, who lends, the risks, and why the market now tops $36 billion.