Old Master Drawings appeal to collectors primarily because they are a window into the past and provide a direct connection to a great artist. Unlike many paintings they are personal and immediate. It’s almost as if one were granted direct access to the mind of the artist. His or her hand marks the paper in a way that directly reflects their vision and ideas.
If there is a trend in the market it is that collectors are better informed than ever and are insisting on quality, freshness, rarity and condition. This is a positive trend but is also driving prices for the best pieces up. If collectors are looking to protect there investment they will therefore be advised to look for these qualities in the drawings they purchase. Dealers and curators are crucial collaborators in helping collectors understand these factors.
Old Master Drawings collectors are generally people who are passionately interested in art. They go to museums, exhibitions and fairs. They ask questions of dealers and curators and try to inform themselves about what they are buying. Often they are interested in the techniques used by the artists, the purpose for which the drawings were made and the cultural context of their creation.
This makes these collectors especially interesting to interact with. More than once a collector has pointed out something in a drawing that I had not considered. If the relationship between the dealer and the client is working properly it often results in a joint exploration of the past. The ultimate goal of this experience is to better understand the work of a great artist through the appreciation of his or her most immediate and personal production. This process lives on in a physical form which the collector can own and enjoy for the rest of his or her life.