About Me
Here a personal note may be illuminating. Although I was in
the art business for some twenty years in my youth, I have
been principally committed to teaching and writing and active
in the financial services industry for most of my life. Why, you
might ask, have I moved back into the art world and started
this website in my retirement? It is partly because I have
time on my hands, partly because I want to use and share
my expertise, partly because I like to handle beautiful things,
and partly because it is fun searching for great pictures.
My focus here and in the online gallery which I have
opened at appreciatingfineart.etsy.com is on European and
American representative art before 1930, principally during
the 19th century. Special attention is paid to marine,
sporting, still life and animal painting and to urban and rural
landscapes.
About The Site
The principal objective of this Site is to reach and help anyone
who has discretionary income, but is not super rich, who either
is or wants to be a collector of fine art. Everyone should follow
their own taste, but they can still benefit from the knowledge
and experience of others. Here they will find ideas and
suggestions on how to identify talented artists, select enduring
subjects and judge quality in pictures.
Assembling a collection is not just a way of filling wall space or
impressing third parties. The pleasure of appreciating and
viewing and possessing fine art never fades. Nor, although this
is a secondary benefit, does its economic value. Paintings are
durable, portable and unaffected by inflation.
Reference
My comments take into account the real life of artists, as well as consideration of any available critical literature and accessible images of their other work. For more details, my handbook, Collecting Fine Art on a Limited Budget: A Beginners Guide, is available in multiple formats at Amazon.com
In this reference book I offer readers ideas and suggestions on how to identify talented artists, select enduring subjects and judge quality in pictures. I welcome visitors to the site and readers of the book to voice their reactions, correct any errors, accept or challenge what is said and present alternative viewpoints.