Irish Art Investment Plan
How to Invest in Irish Art Market: Investment Tips.

Irish Art Investment Plan

Contents

• Investment Possibilities in Irish Fine Art
• How to Invest in Irish Fine Art
• Art Investment Tips

Painting and Sculpture in Ireland
For details, see: Irish Art Guide.

IRISH PAINTING
For details of plein-air work,
see: Plein Air Painting Ireland.
For details of realistic works, see
Representational Painting Ireland.
For a review of genre-works,
see: Irish Genre Painters.
For a summary of landscapes,
see: Irish Landscape Artists.
For details of portraiture,
see: Irish Portrait Artists.
For the historical story, see:
History of Irish Art.

TOP PRICED IRISH ART
For details of auction records
set by artists from Ireland, see:
Most Expensive Irish Paintings

Investment Possibilities in Irish Fine Art

There's no doubt that over the last couple of years the depressed economic climate has left some Irish investors pondering the economic benefits of investing in the Irish art market, instead of returning to the property or stock markets. True, art investments don't provide dividends, but then neither (historically) do shares in Ryanair: besides, for many investors, dividends currently attract a more onerous tax rate than capital gains.

The main benefit of investing in art right now, is price. Irish art has tumbled in value, making it a buyer's market with some serious bargains to be had, for careful purchasers. The key word is "careful": for even works by established artists, like Louis le Brocquy (1916-2012), are currently underperforming.

How to Invest in Irish Fine Art

Investing in Irish painting or Irish sculpture is not a guaranteed way of making money. Like all investments, it has its own unique learning curve. In particular, you need to develop an understanding of which artists are most financially promising, and what constitutes a good price for their work. It's fair to say that these issues have, until now, deterred all but the most knowledgable investors from entering the market. So here are a few tips to help you make the most of the art investment opportunities in Ireland, at this point in time.

Art Investment Tips

• With a very few exceptions, the commercial value of Irish contemporary art has plummeted. As a result, with a few exceptions (such as Sean Scully, Basil Blackshaw, Donald Teskey, Kenneth Webb, Colin Middleton), the popularity of contemporary Irish artists has dropped significantly.

• At present, demand is greatest for traditional blue-chip Irish artists, including: the likes of James Barry (1741-1806), Frank O'Meara (1853-88), John Lavery (1856-1941), Walter Osborne (1859-1903), Roderic O'Conor (1860-1940), Jack B Yeats (1871-1957), Paul Henry (1876-1958), William Orpen (1878-1931), William John Leech (1881-1968), Sean Keating (1889-1977), Francis Bacon (1909-92) and William Scott (1913-89).

• The quality of the individual work of art is also important. Best prices continue to be paid for unseen or rarely-seen works, and for those with extra historical significance.

• Always seek professional advice before investing. The top three art auctioneers in Ireland - all of whom offer assistance for buyers - include: Adam's (est.1887), Whyte's and de Vere's.

• For details of other painters and sculptors from Ireland, see: Irish Artists.
• For more about fine arts, see: Homepage.