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hat is your favourite colour? If, like Wentworth Beaumont, co-founder of specialist art advisory firm Beaumont Nathan, you said blue, then you are in good company. A recent global survey found blue to be the world’s mostadored colour. It is particularly popular in the UK, outranking its closest rival (red) by some margin. Having an eye for colour and a lifelong interest in art were just two of the reasons that Wentworth, together with business partner Hugo Nathan, decided to set up their own venture in London’s Mayfair, which has already celebrated its third birthday. “Our previous experience as auctioneers and dealers told us that there was a gap
in the market for a transparent, clientaligned service,” explains Wentworth. “As a buyer or a seller, it can be very difficult to find genuinely independent advice.” So the pair decided that the company would hold no stock of its own and concentrate purely on advisory services across the whole spectrum, although as the business has evolved it has focused on 20th century and post-war artists. The company has recently advised on works by Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter and Roy Lichtenstein. As the names suggest, these are transactions for serious collectors. “We operate at the very top of the market,” confirms Wentworth. Smaller works by Picasso and Richter have changed hands for over £30m in the past two years, while Lichtenstein’s
1962 classic pop art Masterpiece was reportedly purchased in summer 2017 by US hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen for £125m, making it one of the top 10 most expensive art works ever sold. “The US accounts for 50% of the global art market,” reports Wentworth. It may be no coincidence that much collectible post-war art is American-led. Sustained exposure to this genre has resulted in it becoming a personal favourite for him, outweighing his original affection for Old Masters. “The Abstract Expressionism show at the Royal Academy [which closed early in 2017 before moving to Spain] was one of the most impressive of all time,” says Wentworth. The show, which received much critical acclaim, gathered together works from leading artists
Master of the arts Fisher German client Wentworth Beaumont’s advisory service to buyers and sellers in the art world has brought him face-to-face with works by some of the most influential artists of all time.
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fisher german magazine