Christie's - The Quentin Collection: Masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture

Key Insights

• Strong Market for Classic Sculpture: The Quentin Collection demonstrates a healthy demand for Renaissance and Baroque sculptures among collectors, evidenced by a solid sell-through rate of 66.67% and a total auction value of 12,972,400 USD. This indicates a robust interest in acquiring historically significant and rare sculptures from these periods.
• High Value on Renowned Artists and Rarity: The auction results highlight the market's high valuation of works by recognized masters like Giambologna and those connected to iconic figures like Leonardo da Vinci. Such pieces, due to their rarity, historical significance, or association with esteemed artists, tend to fetch premium prices, as seen with Giambologna's sculpture selling for $4,726,446.
• Market Discrimination Based on Quality and Historical Significance: The disparity in hammer prices, with significant amounts concentrated in lots sold for more than $100,000, suggests that collectors are particularly drawn to pieces of exceptional craftsmanship, condition, or provenance. This preference underscores the importance of these factors in investment decisions.
• Selective Investment Indicative of Connoisseurship: The concentration of transactional value in the higher price brackets (> $100,000) and the absence of sales in the lower price ranges reflect a market driven by connoisseurship and financial capability, with collectors aiming to acquire prestigious pieces that are likely to appreciate in value or serve as status symbols.