Juxtaposing Antiques & Contemporary Art

“Good art has always been contemporary, regardless of its origin and value,” says Belgian dealer Axel Vervoordt, a leading proponent of eclectic collecting.

Contemporary Art

It is typical for many collectors to focus on the specific: collecting art or antiques by a single specific artist or designer, from a specific period or style, or even only within a specific medium or material.  Collecting wisely can require research, and it is much easier to research a single category of art than a broad range.  This traditional collecting path is also lead by dealers, who tend to specialise as well.

However, art fairs and auction houses are now showing a growing trend in cross-category collecting.  Taking their lead from many of the greatest taste-makers who are now combining artworks from different times and styles to create eclectically designed homes, many art fairs now show a wider variety of works than ever.  London’s recent BADA (British Antique Dealers' Association) Fair featured everything from antique jewellery to contemporary painting, and 17th century furniture to Modern British sculpture.  Auction houses too are catering to this collecting trend.  Christie’s now features a mix of antique and contemporary masterworks in its annual “Masterpieces” exhibitions, which focus on cross-category curation to highlight top lots from a range of specialist department sales.  At these exhibitions, one can see classical antiquities paired with 20th-century furnishings and African pieces with modern paintings.  “While I appreciate that the ‘collector’ generally has a passion for a specific area, these clients are becoming rarer,” says London dealer Robert Bowman, who now also caters to his clients’ broader tastes.

Upload a photo
Upload a photo of your item
Item is appraised
Experts appraise your item
Receive appraisal
We send you your appraisal