Artist record

What is an artist record?

An artist record is the highest price ever reached by a work by a given artist. It is therefore not the price of one particular painting as such, but the personal ceiling to which that name has so far climbed on the market.

How do I spot it in reports?

In auction summaries and reports you spot it by a small dagger beside the artist's name, marking that a new personal record has been set. The next time such a mark catches your eye, you will know at once that the price history of that name has just been rewritten.

Why does it matter?

An artist record is a clear guide to how far demand for a particular artist has managed to climb, and it tends to signal growing interest in their work. At the same time it is worth taking with some perspective, because it is one peak moment, not the ordinary price at which the artist's works usually sell. Isn't it fascinating to watch which name breaks through that line, and when?

Can you give an example?

An interesting rule of thumb from our lectures says that a record often falls abroad rather than at home. The Slovak artists Ľudovít Fulla and Mária Bartuszová both set their artist records in the Czech Republic, at Galerie Kodl, and not at home in Slovakia. Sometimes a work finds its most appreciative audience only beyond its own borders.

What should you watch out for?

Do not confuse an artist record with the usual value of an artist's works: a record is by definition the very highest price achieved, not an average. Remember, too, that a record can fall somewhere other than you would expect, quite possibly in a country other than the artist's own. Knowing this, you will not be easily misled by one large figure.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club