Common Art Terms

Primary Market

Primary Market refers to the initial sale of an artwork through a gallery or directly from the artist's studio.

Secondary Market

Secondary Market refers to artwork that re-enters the market and is sold again at auction or privately.

Post-War and Contemporary Art (1945-Onward)-

Post-War and Contemporary Art is a common category at auctions, encompassing artwork created during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Contemporary Art

Contemporary art is also a separate category. It is defined as “the art of our time,” primarily by living artists. There are no rules in contemporary art, which has led to a proliferation of diverse styles, techniques, materials, subjects, and philosophical tenants.

Blue Chip Art

Blue Chip Art refers to artwork of great value that is reliably profitable and expected to hold or increase its economic value, regardless of the general economic ups and downs. For a list of the 100 top-performing artists at auction within the last five years, please refer to the Artprice100 index. These artists have stood the test of time, with consistent years of demand and sales confirmed at auction.