Breakfast at Sotheby's: An A-Z of the Art World

Hook has 35 years' experience working in the art world in various capacities, including as senior director of impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's and head of Christie's 19th Century Paintings Department. This guide to the value of artworks is organized into five sections according to viewers' questions about artists ("Who is it by?"); subjects and styles ("Do I like it?"); wall-power ("What will people think of me?"); provenance and more ("How much is it worth?"); and long-term market value ("How much will it be worth?"). Each of the sections is alphabetically arranged, with the author discussing Bohemianism, branding, individual artists, female artists, mental illness, -isms, animals in art, exoticism, emotional impact, fakes, framing, genius, restoration, restitution, theft, collectors, emerging markets, exhibitions, taxation, and many other topics. Brilliantly conceived in a reference format, this accessible, enjoyable, and insightful publication by an art expert can be read from cover to cover or consulted by topic. Authoritative but definitely not academic or comprehensive, it may serve as a helpful first guide to aesthetic, cultural, economic, and other factors that influence the valuation of artworks.