Artist’s Resale Right and the art market: Evidence from British art auctions

Chavale, Areti (2024) Artist’s Resale Right and the art market: Evidence from British art auctions. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This study examines the implementation of Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) and its influence on the art market, focusing on evidence from interviews with key art and policy experts and auction prices in British artists’ sales. Since 2006 ARR became obligatory, in the EU, for works of art by living artists while in 2012 ARR became obligatory for works of art by deceased artists still in copyright, which lasts for 70 years after their death. I perform a comparative analysis based on two distinctive approaches. I interview relevant stakeholders, such as auction specialists, gallerists, art dealers, art consultants and policy experts focusing on the art market.

Apart from qualitative methods I collect and use data on prices for artists and their work (from the online index artprice.com) that crystallises the difference in prices before and after ARR. Firstly, I examine prices for works by the four Scottish colourists (Peploe, Hunter, Cadell and Fergusson), which is a relatively homogeneous group, however, only the work of Fergusson (1874-1961) qualifies for ARR. In this instance I can directly observe his auction record and compare the respective auction prices to equivalent work before and after 2012, when ARR became applicable to artists that died up to 70 years ago.

Undoubtedly this research spans across the conventional disciplinary and methodological boundaries, combining knowledge from art history, law and economics, using both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods. Ultimately, the present thesis attempts to shed more light at a previously overlooked research question, which is approached from a new and innovative perspective, while this research also has the clear potential to generate interesting policy implications and impact.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art
• Supervisor's Name: Roodt, Dr. Christa and Doyle, Professor Gillian
• Date of Award: 2024
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2024-84693
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Nov 2024 15:29
• Last Modified: 14 Nov 2024 15:29
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84693
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84693