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By
referring to sales catalogues, I record and analyse the auctions for paintings.
I rule out sketches and drafts and work exclusively on works which are
finished or considered as such. I also discard doubtful paintings, the
"schools of", "studios of", "style of",
"continuation of" and any name which does not clearly designate
the article for sale.
Next I convert every international bid into Euros.
It is only at this moment, to obtain an average valuation, (and this is
the original and personal idea), that I transpose each result in relation
to a fictitious painting whose chosen reference format is a 15 Landscape
65cmx50cm (26 inches x 20 inches).
This transposition is not simply a rule of three. It is based on market
experience of the relationship between price ratios and formats.
Why this particular format?
Quite simply because it too is the ideal average format, whatever the
work, the painter or the century.
It enables us therefore to obtain an average price and this for each painter
!
The prices recorded chronologically also display upward movements, downward
movements or instability of the values.
When certain painters only use small formats or large formats (e.g.: 13x18cm
(5x7inches) or 130x97cm (51x38inches), the prices are preceded by the
"format". Only in this case is the average price directly related
to the format mentioned. If the format is very small, the term "miniature"
appears.
Record bids which are far above the average price have a special mention
and details are given. These variations can be due either to a very high
quality, or an exceptional subject or origin. At every possible moment,
I have indicated the existence and the reference of catalogues raisonnés
or recognized experts for the painter in question.
For certain artists there is not an average valuation but rather a presentation
of significant bids described from the highest to the lowest.
Thus, if you look for PICASSO Pablo you will find his dates of
birth and death : 1881-1973. The highest bid recorded : 64.0630870
Euros (420.000.000 FF) in the United States in 2000 : "Woman with
arms folded" a canvas measuring 58x42cm (23x16.5inches).
Next will come other works which are judiciously selected according to
the periods, the formats and the subjects and finally the name of the
author of the catalogue raisonné : C. Zervos.
For others, you will just find surnames, first names, biographical dates
and average price for a 65x50 cm (26 x 20 inches) format sometimes
preceded by one of the following signs :
An arrow will indicate the movement of the value according to its direction
; up  , or down 
.
Sometimes you will see the 
sign which indicates that the value is very irregular and that the average
was obtained from very wide extremes.
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