Latest News Articles by Ivan Macquisten
ATG letter: Another UNESCO initiative, another series of bogus claims and statistics
04 December 2023UNESCO is at it again, launching an initiative linked to antiquities with a series of bogus statistics to justify it.
ATG letter: Memories of big hitters of the auction world – Brooks, Came and Butler
30 August 2021Re: the death of Robert Brooks, (News, front page this week).
INSURANCE: Steps buyers and sellers can take in a business fraught with risks
17 July 2017The business of trading in art and antiques is fraught with risks. With the added complexity of Brexit looming, ATG outlines the insurance steps buyers and sellers can take...
INSURANCE: Get ready for Brexit realities
17 July 2017The UK and European Union now face an uncertain future, with cross-border controls a key concern for exporters and importers as politicians debate memberships of the single market and customs union. What does this mean for the art market and its insurance needs?
Insurance on a budget: top tips for art market professionals
17 July 2017“There are insurers in the market who purport to be specialists but who have little, if any, experience in settling difficult claims, such as those involving depreciation as a result of damage. Their premiums are very competitive, but brokers have no knowledge of how claims will be settled.
Owners withdraw loans to German museums in response to culture bill
25 July 2016The Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim has had to close a major exhibition after collectors withdrew their loans following the approval of Germany’s new Cultural Property Protection Act.
Insuring valuables in a changing world: the art and antiques market takes cover
20 July 2016Increased risk around compliance, global trade and even terrorism suggests antiques firms need to insure a wider range of activities. But how can they do so without breaking the bank?
University project launches with map of 2100 dealers
16 June 2015Leeds University launch two resources for research and study into the British art and antiques market this week.
Tad Smith gives clues on Sotheby’s future
26 May 2015Sotheby’s latest set of results give the first indication of how Tad Smith will direct the company.
Online market totals $2.64bn says survey
11 May 2015Global online art sales grew by 68% in 2014 to total $2.64bn, say Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, in their third annual survey of the market.
‘UK ivory ban would destroy my business’
05 May 2015A leading dealer in Japanese works of art says he will go out of business if sales of ivory in the UK are banned.
Tories pledge total ban on trade in ivory
27 April 2015The Conservative Party Manifesto pledges to “press for a total ban on ivory sales” despite recent assurances from the Government that they would not damage the legitimate antiques trade.
Dealers bring Scott’s ‘Golden Age’ clocks back to market
24 April 2015What is billed as “the best collection of English clocks that has come to the market in living memory” will go on sale later this year at Winchester dealers Carter Marsh.
What the great role swap at the top means for Sotheby’s and Christie’s
24 March 2015COMMENT: One is a marketing expert from outside the industry with a background in the media, luxury and entertainment sectors, the other is a career auction house professional with decades of service at the same company under his belt.
London/New York trade gap for pictures trebles in a year to £736m
16 March 2015Stable year-on-year values across art and antique exports as a whole mask major changes in influence among the UK’s trading partners in 2014.
Sotheby's name Tad Smith as new president and CEO
16 March 2015Sotheby’s have appointed Tad Smith, aged 49, as president and chief executive officer, effective March 31, 2015.
What the TEFAF Art Market 2015 Report tells us
11 March 2015COMMENT: The TEFAF Report shows that the art market has fully recovered since the 2008 financial crash, but still faces a number of challenges, such as late or non-payment.
TEFAF Report 2015: Global art market grows 7% in 2014
11 March 2015Post-War and Contemporary art accounts for almost half of total spend at auction
Sotheby’s seek new growth in middle market
09 March 2015Sotheby’s year-end results for 2014 signal a refocus of activity to encompass much more of the middle market than in recent years.
Clash of brands at the top fairs enrages dealers
03 March 2015How do you prevent your own identity as a dealer being subsumed by that of the fair at which you are exhibiting?