New on Republic: Investing in fine art

Today, we’re excited to introduce a new kind of alternative asset to our platform: fine art. Investing in art: a brief historyAndré Level, an art critic and dealer known for his early support of Matisse and Picasso, pioneered the first modern art investment fund—a collection called La Peau de l’Ours—at Sotheby’s Paris in 1904. Today, fine art remains one of the most popular alternative asset classes for the ultra-wealthy. The 10 most expensive sales alone accounted for a whopping $786.9 million in proceeds, signaling a healthy consumer appetite for fine art. That means market downturns may have less of an influence on fine art investments.