Centre for the Study of the Art and Antiques Market

The Centre for the Study for the Art and Antiques Market is the first research centre, both nationally and internationally, with a specific focus on the study of the history of the trade in both art and antiques.

The Centre is a research hub for interdisciplinary study of the markets for art and antiques – the interdisciplinary nature of the Centre is reflected by a ‘community of interests’, and includes academics (from various schools and faculties at the University of Leeds, as well as other universities and institutions); students (undergraduate, taught postgraduate and postgraduate research); archivists, museum professionals, and art and antique market professionals.

The Centre has a wide remit of research focus all under the ambit of the study of the art market. We are interested in both the historic and contemporary fine art market (paintings and sculpture markets) and the markets for antiques (the decorative art market). The uniqueness of the Centre is that has a specific, concentrated focus on ‘decorative art’ as well as the overlaps between ‘fine art’ and ‘decorative art’.

The Centre acts as a catalyst for a wide range of art market focused research activities, including:

• the development of digital research projects devoted to the assembly and analysis of large data-sets and longitudinal research;
• the development of discrete research projects across complementary disciplines such as those in material culture studies, the history of collecting, the history of art, design history, business history, the history of taste, and the history of museums.

The activities of the Centre focuses on the study of historic art markets. It also encourages study of the relationships between historic art markets and their contemporary dimensions, for example the internationalization and globalization of the art market in the 21st century.

Academic team

The Centre is led by Dr Mark Westgarth.

More information

If you would like to be involved in our activities, please email: csaa@leeds.ac.uk.

See the Centre website for more information.

Visit our profiles list to discover our people and expertise.

Image: The National Gallery when at Mr J.J. Angerstein’s House, Pall Mall, 1824-34, Frederick MacKenzie © Victoria and Albert Museum, London